


Five Nights in Nottingham

by bluemoonmaverick



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/M, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-17
Updated: 2014-05-02
Packaged: 2018-01-19 19:22:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 30,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1481152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluemoonmaverick/pseuds/bluemoonmaverick
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry Maybourne (a.k.a. King Arkhan) has gone missing in the mythical Sherwood Forest, and it's up to SG-1 to find him and the ancient treasure he is seeking.  Jack and Sam struggle with their increasingly complicated feelings for each other along the way.  Action and adventure!  Humor and romance!  Men in tights?  This one has it all!<br/><br/>**Sam & Jack Multimedia Awards WINNER - Best Comedy (2014)**</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story takes place after Threads but before Jack leaves for Washington. With a huge thanks to my beta MidKnight Rider and apologies to every Robin Hood movie ever made. ;)

General Jack O'Neill hit the bottom stair and spun around the railing into the SGC control room just as the klaxons were silenced. He looked through the window toward the 'gate to see the tell-tale blue shimmer of an active wormhole behind the closed iris. Within seconds, all three members of SG-1 had sidled up beside him, drawn by the announcement of an unscheduled off-world activation.

Jack clasped Walter Harriman on the shoulder and was just about to ask what was going on, when the 'gate technician spoke. "Sir, we're receiving an audio communication from P2X-487."

"Where-" he began to ask, but Harriman had already anticipated his question.

"Harry Maybourne's planet, sir."

"Well this can't be good," Jack grumbled. He indicated for Harriman to put him on speaker. "This is General Jack O'Neill of Stargate Command." He paused, waiting for an answer and upon receiving none, he turned to Harriman, who simply shrugged.

He tried again. "Hello?"

"Um, hello?" a decidedly feminine voice answered hesitantly.

Jack raised his eyebrows. "Yes, who's calling please?"

"This is Alana, from Devanon. I'm, ah, one of King Arkhan's wives."

Jack looked at Sam, who was standing beside him. "Maybourne," she mouthed.

"Ah," he replied, then leaned into comm. "And where is King Arkhan?"

"Well, that's just it. We've lost him."

oOoOoOo

Jack sat at the head of the conference room table, surrounded by SG-1 and all three of King Arkhan's wives. Jack studied them carefully and silently cursed the injustice of the universe as he wondered, not for the first time, how Harry Maybourne had finagled three attractive women into marrying him.

His faith in karma was ultimately restored, however, once the women began bickering incessantly among themselves. He rubbed his forehead. After ten minutes of conversation, he still didn't have a clear answer as to what had happened to Harry.

"Just, start at the beginning," he finally said to Alana, who appeared to be the brightest of the bunch, which frankly wasn't saying much.

She cleared her throat. "Well, King Arkhan found an ancient tablet-"

"It had strange writing on it," interrupted the overeager Becca.

Alana glared at her. "He said that it spoke of a device of unimaginable power-"

"A treasure, one of thirteen," said Becca, again.

"The tablet told of the treasure's location-"

"On another planet."

"King Arkhan wanted to see if he could find it-"

"He called it a quest."

"Ack!" Jack spat, calling a halt to the volley of words. He didn't miss Sam trying to hide a smile behind her hand, but then, he didn't miss much his former Second did. "Just one of you talks," he commanded, looking at all three women in turn. His gaze finally fell on Charlette, Harry's third wife, who had become uncharacteristically quiet, only to find her leering at Daniel. Jack rolled his eyes. Some things never changed. He pointed to Alana. "You."

Alana sat up a little straighter in her chair. "King Arkhan traveled to the planet where the treasure was hidden, alone."

"Why alone?" asked Sam.

"He said the quest was dangerous; he didn't want to risk the lives of any of his people."

"Or he wished to keep the treasure solely for himself," Teal'c added in a low voice. Jack smirked and nodded in agreement.

"He was gone for many days," Alana continued. "We didn't know what to do. Finally, ten of our bravest warriors decided to go after him. But only one came back. He said the planet was dangerous, that the land was plagued by thieves and ruled by an unscrupulous Sheriff, and that King Arkhan was lost."

There was a long pause after Alana stopped talking, until Jack finally said with all the sincerity he could muster, "And we are very sorry for your loss." He began to stand. "Now if you'll follow me, I'll show you the way back to the Stargate..."

Daniel stayed put. "Alana, what is it that you want from us, exactly?" Now it was Jack's turn to glare, but he reluctantly eased himself back down into his chair.

"King Arkhan told us that if anything ever happened to him and we needed help to contact you. We were hoping you would travel to this planet to retrieve the King and bring him back to us, where he belongs."

"But I thought you said he was dead." Daniel unexpectedly ended the statement with a yelp as Charlette placed her hand on his thigh and gave it a squeeze.

Alana ignored her behavior, clearly accustomed to it. "The warrior who returned to us never saw our King. We believe he is still alive and likely in trouble."

"That would be typical," said Teal'c, as Daniel scooted his chair as far away from Charlette as he could.

Jack had heard enough. "With all due respect, Ms.-"

"Sir," Sam said suddenly. Jack stopped mid sentence and looked at Sam, who inclined her head in the direction of his office. He shook his head slightly, but she was undeterred, raising her eyebrows at him and continuing to gesture toward the office, this time with more vehemence.

Jack sighed and considered for a moment how, after eight years of working together on a nearly daily basis, his Colonel was no longer intimidated by him in the least. He wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or not. With one last exasperated glance at Sam, he stood and addressed Harry's wives. "Excuse us for just a moment."

Jack walked into his office, trailed by Sam, Teal'c, and Daniel, who appeared more than just a little relieved to be momentarily out of reach of Charlette. The General closed the door behind them and rolled his eyes as he heard the women begin to argue once again.

He turned to face his former Second, both index fingers in the air. "I don't care what you have to say, Carter. My days of pulling Harry's sorry ass out of the fire are over."

She looked at him with a somewhat mischievous glint in her eye. "Sir, it's possible that the treasure he's after has military applications."

That brought him up short. Damn, the woman knew how to get to him. In more ways than one. "Like a big, honkin' space gun?" he asked hopefully.

"It's possible, sir." She tried to repress a grin. "It's also possible that this device of 'unimaginable power' referenced on an 'ancient' tablet could be a ZPM."

"Well, I for one would at least like to take a look at that tablet," said Daniel. "If it is Ancient and can tell us the location of not only this one device but thirteen others..."

"Plus, it's not like we've got a whole lot going on right now, sir," Sam added. Jack had to admit that things had been quiet around the SGC since the defeat of Anubis. "Don't think of it as a rescue mission; think of it as-"

"A quest," Teal'c supplied.

Jack huffed and held up his hands in defeat. "Alright, alright. You had me at 'military applications,'" he said to Sam, then felt his stomach do a little flip flop when she beamed at him. "But I'm not about to let you guys go off and have all the fun by yourselves." He clapped his hands together suddenly and grinned. "I'm coming with you!"

oOoOoOo

Sam walked into the 'gate room to find the team, including the General, already assembled and in costume. She had to stifle a giggle. They looked more like actors at a renaissance festival than a highly trained military unit. Still, she knew that their green and brown outfits would provide almost the same camouflage as their BDUs, and although they wouldn't be able to take their P90s on this trip, their long cloaks hid an assortment of handguns and other deadly weapons. Even Teal'c's staff weapon had undergone a makeover of sorts to make it appear as though it were made of wood.

They certainly looked the part, but she still had no idea how Daniel had convinced the General and Teal'c to actually wear tights. Though their cloaks effectively hid the small arsenal they were carrying with them, they did little to conceal much else. She knew the General had put up a quite a fight over their attire, but she supposed the threat of almost certain death had, in the end, been the persuading factor.

The decision to go undercover had not been easily made, but when they'd heard that the local Sheriff had decreed that all off-worlders were to be taken into custody, or worse, shot upon sight, they decided that it was better to be safe than sorry. They had also been told that the Sheriff did not have the resources to keep a guard at the 'gate, which was apparently located in a large and dangerous forest some distance from the village. Still, they had decided to send a MALP through first, just in case.

As Sam walked up to the rest of the team, she couldn't help but notice how both Jack and Daniel were staring at her, the former with an almost bemused expression, and the latter with a furrowed brow.

"What?" she asked them.

Jack swiftly averted his gaze, as though he were embarrassed at having been caught. Daniel, on the other hand, addressed her question directly. "Okay, so don't hit me, but I'm afraid you're going to stand out a bit in that outfit."

Sam looked down at her attire, which was identical to the men's. "Why? What's wrong with it?"

"All indications are that this planet has a culture equivalent to 15th century Europe. I'm fairly certain that the women don't wear, um, tights."

She put her hands on her hips. "Well, I'm not about to wear a dress on a mission, Daniel."

"For cryin' out loud, Carter!" interrupted Jack. "What are _you_ complaining about? I'd almost prefer wearing a dress myself."

"That could be arranged," offered Daniel.

Jack shot him a pointed look. "Yeah, well, at least I wouldn't feel so...exposed. Right, Teal'c?"

"I find this clothing to be quite comfortable, O'Neill," he replied.

Sam bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing as her commander did a double take of the large Jaffa, who continued to stare straight ahead. "Look," she said, "if it becomes a problem, we'll just pretend I'm a man."

Jack snorted. "There's no way anyone's gonna think you're a man, Carter."

"Why not?" she replied, her tone bordering on the indignant. "My hair's short; I'm not wearing any makeup..."

Jack just smirked. "Come on, Carter..." He looked at the others for support, but Teal'c's expression remained stoic as always, while Daniel suddenly found the tops of his laced-up leather boots fascinating. Jack's face fell a little as Sam continued to stare at him expectantly, and he realized that he had backed himself into somewhat of a corner.

Quickly, he scrambled to come up with a reason that wouldn't get him shot. "Well, for one, your face is too pretty."

Sam just narrowed her eyes at him, unimpressed. "Maybe I'm just an attractive man."

"Yeah, but Carter...you're..." Jack trailed off and made some vague hourglass motion in the direction of her body, which immediately earned him a rather frightening glare. Daniel's mouth fell open. Teal'c just gave him the eyebrow.

Jack decided a hasty retreat was in order. "Walter!" he yelled up to the control room.

But the ring had already started to spin. Harriman leaned toward the comm. "Dialing P3R-165 now, sir."

TBC...


	2. Chapter 2

As soon as she'd sent the MALP back through the 'gate, Sam took a moment to study their surroundings. The 'gate was located in a dense evergreen forest. Tall pines obstructed all but a small patch of cloudy sky directly overhead, giving the space a dark, closed-in feel. A well worn path winding in opposite directions lay directly in front of the 'gate, but other than the occasional birdsong, the forest was completely still.

The remainder of her team had already spread out and were carefully scanning the nearby foliage. Although the MALP had not indicated the presence of any life forms larger than a squirrel, she knew they couldn't be too careful. When Jack finally gave the all clear, they gathered again in front of the 'gate to determine their next course of action.

"The warrior from Maybourne's planet believed he sought the treasure in a nearby village," said Teal'c.

"Right," agreed Jack. He turned in a circle. "The only problem is that I have no idea which way that is."

"Well," Daniel began in his best professorial voice, "I would say that the village lies in that direction." He pointed to the right of the Stargate.

Jack stopped spinning and faced the archeologist. "And how do you know that, Sherlock?"

"Elementary, my dear General. This path is more worn. Logic dictates that most people who exit the 'gate travel toward the village."

Sam grinned at the smug look on Daniel's face, while Jack just grunted. Nevertheless, their leader started down the path to the right without hesitation. He took point and was trailed by Sam, then Daniel, with Teal'c on their six.

As they walked, the view hardly changed, and though she could usually adequately entertain herself simply by staring at her commanding officer's six, it was currently covered by his cloak. So, Sam soon found her mind wandering back to the events of the past several days.

Two weeks after her father's funeral and the announcement that she had broken her engagement, Jack had invited her up to his cabin for some much needed R&R. Sam had been quite sure when he'd asked her to go fishing with that lopsided grin of his that they were finally on the same page.

She was equal parts giddy anticipation and barely restrained nerves as they made the long drive to Minnesota together. Even when she'd found out that the boys were coming along, she still believed the purpose of their trip was to obtain some resolution to their long repressed, unspoken attraction. She should have known better.

The memory of what happened still made her cringe. In the wee hours of their first morning there, he had woken her from a deep sleep and whispered in her ear that it was finally time, causing her heart to leap into her throat and desire to pool deep and low. But she had never been more shocked or disappointed when he simply pulled her out of bed, only to hand her a rod and reel with instructions to meet him at the dock. She'd spent the rest of the morning sitting beside him in a folding chair by the pond, waiting futilely for a nibble. Of any sort.

Things had gone rapidly downhill from there. Later that same day, Jack had received an emergency call from the Pentagon, and by that evening he was in Washington, leaving Sam alone with Teal'c and Daniel, wondering what the hell had happened and whether she was crazy for having believed the term "fishing" was really code for something else for the last eight years.

She was suddenly startled from her thoughts by the man himself when he dropped back to walk beside her. "Whatcha thinkin'?" Jack asked casually.

She swore he could read her mind sometimes. She glanced sideways at him and couldn't help but notice the twinkle in his eyes. For all her frustration with her commanding officer, he did have his charms. She gave him a small smile. "Nothing."

"Come on Carter, you were practically thinking a hole into the back of my head."

She was just about to reply when a woman's scream from somewhere down the trail tore through the otherwise quiet forest. Instantly, Jack signaled for the group to take cover in the trees, with Jack and Sam on one side and Teal'c and Daniel on the other. Quietly, they crept through the forest until they came upon the source of the disturbance.

In the middle of the trail sat a rather shabby cart and horse. The contents of the cart, mostly food items and clothing, were strewn upon the ground. Beside the mess, a large and formidable looking man was holding a short, portly woman at knifepoint while his partner rifled through a rucksack he'd grabbed from the clutches of a balding man, as two frightened girls looked on.

"Please! Please good sir! Do not harm us," plead the bald man desperately. "I beg of you!"

The thief continued poking through the bag. "Silence!" he demanded. He looked up his partner. "They have nothing," he spat.

"Kill them and take the horse."

The woman and girls all screamed. "No!" yelled the bald man.

The thug with the knife looked over his shoulder at his partner. "There is no honor in this."

"Our lord commands it!" the other replied through gritted teeth.

The exchange struck Jack as odd yet vaguely familiar, but he didn't have time to dwell on it, as the thief with the bag threw it to the ground and pulled his own knife on the bald man. "Why didn't we bring our P90s again?" he muttered to Sam as she readied her bow, though he knew full well the importance of maintaining their cover. Jack glanced across the trail to where Teal'c and Daniel were hidden in the trees and gave them a quick nod.

Several things happened at once. The thief lunged toward the bald man but suddenly cried out in pain and dropped his knife as Sam's arrow pierced his shoulder. In an instant, Teal'c was behind him, taking out his knees with a swing of his staff. Surprisingly, he roared back up to a standing position, dodging Teal'c's next swing and landing a punch in the Jaffa's stomach.

At the same time, Jack charged the second thief, grabbing him around the waist and bending his arm painfully behind him. Without warning, the thief twisted around and struck a blow to Jack's jaw, sending him reeling. Momentarily stunned, Jack looked up just in time to block his attempt to stab him, and for several seconds, they struggled as Jack maintained a death grip on the man's arm with the point of a blade mere inches from his face.

It wasn't until Daniel drew a sword across man's back that he reared backwards in pain, allowing Jack to shove him away and kick his feet out from under him. At the same time, Sam shot two more arrows into the side of Teal'c's attacker, distracting him enough to cause him to abandon his fistfight with the Jaffa.

With one last look at the four teammates, the thieves turned tail and ran for their horses, which were hidden further up the trail. They quickly mounted them and rode off in the direction of the village, leaving two large packs on the ground behind them.

Daniel wiped the blade of his sword on the grass. "Is it just me, or were they a little tougher than expected?"

"They were surprisingly well trained," agreed Teal'c.

"Should we pursue, sir?" Sam asked Jack.

He shook his head. "Nah, we'll never catch 'em on foot. But we will need to keep an eye out for them along the trail."

Sam approached the family huddled together by the wagon. "Are you all right?" she asked. They simply stared at her wide-eyed and nodded.

"Jack." Daniel had retrieved the packs left by the thieves. He opened one and discovered that is was filled with coins and jewelry. He showed it to the military man.

Jack grabbed the packs and handed them to the bald man. "Can you see that this gets back to the people from whom it was taken? Or at least to those who could use it?"

The man gaped at him, then seemed to recover himself somewhat, and reached out to take the packs. "The people of Nottingham will be grateful, sire."

Daniel stepped forward. "Wait. Did you say Nottingham?"

"Aye. You are from another shire?"

"Uh, you could say that," Daniel replied. He was starting to get a nagging sense of deja vu and decided to play a hunch. "Would you remind me of the name of this forest?"

The bald man looked at the archeologist as though he had lost his marbles. "Why, Sherwood, of course!"

Daniel's eyes got big as saucers. "As in _the_ Sherwood Forest?"

He chuckled. "None other, sire. You are familiar with the stories, then. It is a very dangerous forest indeed, and if my brother weren't sick in the shire opposite, we never would have chanced a crossing."

Jack, Daniel, and Sam exchanged startled glances, while the woman and girls began talking in earnest amongst themselves. The younger girl stared at Sam and Jack with blatant adoration while the older ogled Daniel and Teal'c. The woman approached the bald man and whispered something in his ear.

His eyebrows shot to the top of his head, and he looked at the group with renewed interest. "My lord," he addressed Jack, "I cannot thank you enough for your valor and your kindness."

The woman approached Sam and took her hand in hers. "You are as beautiful as the legend says, m'lady." She faced Jack. "And you, so good and brave, just as it has been told." She looked back and forth between the two of them. "Tell me, have you yet wed?"

Jack and Sam looked at each other with surprise, then immediately turned away. "We're, uh, not even engaged..." Jack stammered.

"But your love for each other is renown!" squealed the younger girl. Sam cursed her fair coloring as she felt her cheeks flush. Jack simply stood rooted to the spot, dumbfounded.

The man, oblivious to their reaction, leaned conspiratorially toward Jack. "Aye, and you don't want to be waitin' too long to claim her maidenhood..."

The General let out something akin to a nervous laugh. "But she's no-"

Sam whipped her head around to glare at her commanding officer for the second time that day. Daniel, ever the diplomat and sensing imminent disaster, deftly cut off his friend in an attempt to save him from himself.

"Pardon me, but who do you think we are, exactly?" he asked the bald man.

The man drew himself up and smiled. "You, young sir, being the smooth talker, not to mention a charmer of the ladies, must be Will Scarlet." He walked up to Teal'c. "And this large gentlemen here with his wooden staff and large stature is certainly Little John." He turned to address Sam. "The lovely Maid Marian, whose skill with the bow gives her away, if not her beauty that, might I add, could never be hidden 'neath men's clothing." He winked at her.

"Told you," Jack whispered to her smugly. "And I suppose that would make me...?"

"And you, sir, are none other than Robin Hood - Master of Disguise, Lord of the Wood, King of Outlaws!" he concluded with a flourish.

Daniel blew out a large breath. "Woo boy."

TBC...


	3. Chapter 3

"Robin Hood! You think I'm Robin Hood?" Jack stared at the man wide eyed.

The bald man got a knowing look. "Ah, my apologies, m'lord." He lowered his voice a bit. "I understand that you wish to keep your identity...quiet. Wouldn't want the Sheriff catching wind of the fact that you've returned." He stood up tall, and gave Jack a wink. "But you can trust us, m'lord. Your secret is safe with me and my family."

With that, the family hopped up onto the cart and, giving the old horse a firm rap on the rear, proceeded down the path toward the Stargate.

Jack turned toward Daniel, his expression demanding an explanation. The archeologist shrugged. "The legend does kind of fit."

"I assume then," Teal'c began, "that this Robin Hood was an honorable yet impertinent warrior who harbored an unrequited love for his longtime female companion." Jack just gaped at the Jaffa, while Sam blushed to her roots.

"Actually, Robin's love for Marian was not unrequited." Daniel responded immediately, then seeing the thunderous look on Jack's face, hurried to explain the story to Teal'c. "Um, the nature of the Robin Hood legend varies somewhat according to the source..."

"Wait," Jack interrupted. He looked at Teal'c, whose lips curved upwards with the faintest trace of a smile. "What did you say?" Sam turned an even deeper shade of red.

Daniel continued as though nothing had happened. "But generally, Robin Hood was known as an outlaw who supposedly lived anywhere from the 12th to 14th century in England. Various legends hold that he resided in Sherwood Forest with his band of Merry Men..."

"Did Teal'c just call me impertinent?" Jack asked, looking at Sam.

Daniel ignored him. "These people probably came from medieval England. They must have brought the legend with them."

"I'm not impertinent. Am I impertinent, Carter?"

Daniel had had enough. "Jack!"

Jack whirled around to face the archeologist. "Alright, Daniel, but why would they think _I'm_ Robin Hood?"

"Well, you did give them the money and jewelry we confiscated from the thieves. You know, the whole 'steal from the rich, give to the poor' thing?"

Jack looked at him for several beats. "Well, I didn't mean it like that!"

They continued down the path, watching vigilantly for any sign of the thieves they had foiled earlier, but the trail was uneventful. In fact, Jack thought things were a little too quiet. Or maybe it was just Sam who was a little too quiet.

Jack glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She kept her gaze straight ahead, looking decidedly unamused. But then, she had been that way for awhile now - ever since their disastrous trip to the cabin.

He didn't have time to dwell on the matter further, though, because as they came around a bend in the trail, they spotted a dwelling just up ahead. It was a large structure, made of wood. Sitting in a copse of tall pines, it was almost indistinguishable from its surroundings, save for the smoke that rose from a stone chimney and a round sign that hung from a pole over the door.

"I think it's a alehouse," said Daniel. "'The Sorcerer's Eye Tavern and Inn,'" he read aloud as they approached.

"Sounds...interesting," Jack said, noting that the sign looked vaguely like a stylized Stargate.

"Maybe the owner can tell us something about Maybourne," added Sam.

Daniel was relishing the thought of not having to spend the night on the forest floor. "And maybe even put us up for the night."

They walked inside to find a dimly lit space with several low tables, a small hearth to one side, and a bar against the back wall. Three patrons were seated at the bar, which was tended by a single barkeep. What little conversation was taking place before they entered stopped completely, as four sets of eyes turned at once in their direction. No one said a word to them as they made their way toward a table in the corner. After a few moments, the patrons resumed speaking in low tones among themselves.

"This does not appear to be a particularly hospitable establishment," Teal'c said under his breath.

Jack clasped Daniel on the shoulder. "Time for you to use that infamous charm of yours," he said in a low tone.

The team sat at the table, while Daniel approached the barkeep. There was a brief conversation that Jack couldn't quite make out. After a few minutes, the archeologist returned to their table with four tankards of ale.

"He says he doesn't have any rooms, but I was able to barter my buck knife for some food and beer, though I don't know how happy he is about it." Daniel looked sideways at the barkeep.

"Did you ask him about Maybourne?" asked Jack.

"He claims he hasn't seen anyone who fits the description."

Jack took a sip of his beer. It was dark and frothy and warm. Like any good American, he preferred his beer ice cold, but the flavor of this brew reminded him so much of his beloved Guinness, he almost didn't mind. Sam, on the other hand, took one sip of hers, then scrunched up her nose and sat it aside. Daniel sipped his hesitantly, while Teal'c didn't even touch the drink. Jack chuckled at the predictability of his team and was struck suddenly by just how much he had missed their missions together.

At that moment, two travelers entered the tavern. As soon as Jack had confirmed that they weren't the thieves from earlier, he turned back to his beer in earnest. But within a few minutes, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He shifted slightly to see the group at the bar talking with the newcomers, who were whispering and pointing in their direction.

"Uh oh," mumbled Daniel, who had also observed the exchange.

"Heads up, kids," Jack said quietly. "Looks like we may have trouble."

By then, the barkeep was making his way over to the table, followed closely by the two travelers and the other patrons. All four members of SG-1 shifted slightly so as to better access their weapons, preparing for the inevitable skirmish.

With a loud clunk, four tankards of ale appeared from nowhere and landed on the table in front of them. "On the house!" the barkeep proclaimed with a wide smile. The team sat in stunned silence as the patrons approached and began slapping them on the back and offering to buy them more beer.

"Aye, and I believe you said you'd be needing a place to stay tonight?" Without waiting for an answer, the barkeep continued. "l've got two of my best rooms set aside for you!"

Jack stared at him. "Not that I'm complaining, but why the change of heart?"

"My apologies for earlier, m'lord, but we get all kind in here. I had no idea who you were." He leaned toward Jack and in a stage whisper said, "The Sheriff is no friend to us, either." He stood tall and lifted his own tankard into the air. "To Robin Hood and his Merry Men!"

He was joined by the others, with a resounding "Huzzah!" The members of SG-1 looked at each other, stunned. Apparently, their "secret" wasn't so safe with the family they'd rescued after all.

"But we're not-" began Sam.

Daniel quickly cut her off. "Thank you, sir." He gestured to the seat next to him. "Please, sit with us a moment."

After further conversation, they determined that not only was the barkeep familiar with Maybourne, but he had in fact run up quite a tab at the establishment, one that was still unpaid. "Aye," the barkeep said, his eyes flinty, "and if I ever find him, I'm going to take it out of his hide."

By the time they'd finished a delicious stew, the team had learned that the Sheriff, having only arrived within the past few months, had taken over stewardship of Nottinghamshire in the absence of the king who had mysteriously vanished. Most were skeptical of Sheriff's dubious rule, and some even suspected that he was behind the king's sudden disappearance.

According to the barkeep, the Sheriff had been levying unreasonable taxes on the people of Nottingham and was not hesitant in sending his henchmen to collect. Those who failed to pay were usually imprisoned - or worse. In addition, crime in Sherwood Forest had increased exponentially since the Sheriff had taken stewardship, and there were rumors that his deputies were far more likely to rob travelers than to protect them.

Before long, it had grown dark outside, and the barkeep offered to show them to their rooms. He led them up a short set of stairs behind the hearth, which ended in a small landing off of which two rooms were situated, one beside the other, over the back of the tavern.

The first room contained two individual pallets, and the barkeep offered it to Daniel and Teal'c, who entered quickly before Jack or Sam had an opportunity to protest. The second room was next door and was much larger. Jack noted with some apprehension that it only contained one sleeping pallet, and a relatively small one at that.

"For you and the lady, sire," the barkeep said with a wink.

"Um..." Jack mumbled awkwardly. He really wished people would quit winking at him.

Sam walked in without hesitation. "Thank you. This is lovely."

The barkeep closed the door behind them, grinning wildly, and Jack looked around nervously as Sam took off her cloak and draped it over a chair in the corner. She methodically began removing her hidden arsenal from first her thighs, then her waist, as Jack watched, entranced. Slowly, she unfastened the bindings on her leather vest, the neckline of her white undershirt slipping dangerously low. Jack swallowed hard and wondered briefly if she was trying to kill him.

He clapped his hands together, more in an effort to distract himself than attract her attention. "Well. I'll, ah, just take the floor, Carter."

She sat on the small bed and looked up at him through lowered lashes. "There's no need, sir. We've shared closer quarters than this." He gaped at her for a moment, completely unable to speak. She really was trying to kill him. Still, it was a hell of way to go.

"Okay," he replied quietly. He quickly followed her lead, removing his own weapons and cloak, and lay down onto the bed beside her. It was a much tighter fit than he expected, and he found himself shoulder to shoulder with his former Second in Command, staring at the ceiling, unsure what he was supposed to do next.

The silence soon became deafening, and Jack found himself wondering once again when things had become so uncomfortable between them. Maybe they just needed to clear the air.

He cleared his throat. "Listen, Carter, all that stuff about Robin Hood and Maid Marian...you know I don't see you that way, right?" He wasn't really sure why he'd felt compelled to tell her that, but Jack sensed rather than saw her bristle in response to his words.

She turned on her side, facing away from him, and replied tersely, "I understand. Good night, sir."

Wait, he thought. Had she misinterpreted what he said? He'd just meant that he didn't see her as the damsel-in-distress type. Shit. He was former black ops, the leader of an elite, covert military operation - a general, for cryin' out loud! But for some reason, ever since their ill-fated trip to the cabin, he'd been reduced to a blithering idiot around her, and his inability to keep his foot out of his mouth, coupled with her increasing irritation with him, had made the tension between them almost unbearable.

He sighed. He'd had big plans for the cabin, but he'd gotten cold feet at the last minute. So he'd wimped out and asked Daniel and Teal'c to come along, thinking it would buy him time to figure out how to tell her what he felt. He wanted her; heck, he _needed_ her, now more than ever. It was just that now that she was finally available and seemingly open to the possibility of a future together, he had no idea how to make it happen. He'd tried so hard to pretend he didn't love her for so many years, he was having a difficult time expressing those feelings now. And frankly, he was terrified he was going to screw things up. Which, as it turns out, was exactly what was happening.

On top of everything else, he'd found out he was being reassigned to Washington. He hadn't told the team yet, mostly because he didn't know how to tell Sam. This trip was intended as a sort of last hurrah before he left, as it was probably his last opportunity to go through the gate with SG-1. He feared it was also his last chance with Sam.

He decided then and there that he was going to try to set things right, to throw caution to the wind and tell her exactly how he felt. He rolled over onto his side, facing her back. "Sam..." he said huskily.

Sam had been determined not to speak to him for the rest of the night, but something in his tone convinced her to rethink that plan. She rolled over and found herself unexpectedly in his arms. Though she was startled by their proximity, she made no attempt to move, and neither did he. She felt her heart rate increase.

"Look," he began, "there are some things I wanted to tell you at the cabin, before I got called to DC..." He paused suddenly and cocked his head to one side, listening.

Finally, she thought. They were finally going to talk. Her excitement began to fade somewhat though, as his attention seemed to drift. "Sir?" she prompted.

Jack thought he'd heard something scraping against the window, but after several long seconds passed without further incident, he concluded he must have imagined it. "Sam, I..." He stopped again when he heard another scraping noise. "Did you hear that?" He turned toward the window.

Sam feared she was losing him, and she was not about to let that happen. "It's nothing. The wind." Boldly, she cupped his cheek and turned his face back toward hers. "What did you want to tell me, Jack?"

But he heard the noise once again. "No, I think someone is out there." He got up to investigate.

Suppressing a groan, she lay back with her arm over her eyes, frustrated with yet another close call. "Sir, there's nothing-" She stopped suddenly, her attention drawn to the window from which an odd sound was most definitely emanating. She sat up and looked at Jack, who brought his finger to his lips. Quietly, he crept to one side of the window, picking up his sword along the way. He signaled for her to go to the other side.

Sam could clearly see an arm silhouetted against the glass by the pale moonlight, reaching out to undo the latch. The moment the arm pushed the window open, Jack grabbed it and pulled a large man dressed in brown robes through the opening. Instantly, he threw the man to the ground, both his sword and Sam's at his throat.

Jack recognized the man immediately. "Harry!"

Harry Maybourne grinned up at them from his prone position on the floor. "Hi, Jack. I, uh, hope I'm not interrupting anything." He looked pointedly at Sam and wiggled his eyebrows. His gaze shifted to Jack's legs, and his grin got wider. "So, you went for the tights, huh?"

TBC...


	4. Chapter 4

It didn't take long for Daniel and Teal'c to realize the commotion next door was something other than the hoped-for resolution of their friends' long repressed feelings, so within minutes of Harry's arrival, they were all gathered in Jack and Sam's room engaging in an impromptu debrief of the errant king. For his part, Harry looked mildly disheveled, his brown robes streaked with dirt and his face covered in a rough stubble. His haughty attitude, however, had apparently suffered little damage as a result of his ordeal. He was already polishing off his third apple, pilfered from a bowl of fruit that was no doubt intended to be more decorative than edible.

"So how'd you find us?" Jack asked bluntly.

Harry spoke as he ate, sending little bits of apple flying. "I was hiding out in the forest, and I overheard some travelers on the road discussing how Robin Hood and his Merry Men had saved a family from some thieves." He shrugged and took another bite of apple. "I got curious, so I followed them here and found you." He grinned widely at Jack. "I should have known it was you. So nice to know you cared enough to come after me."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, I hate to bust your bubble, Harry, but it's not you we're interested in so much as the supposed treasure you're after."

"You wound me, Jack," Harry replied with an impressive lack of sincerity.

But Jack was in no mood to play games. "The treasure, Harry. Where is it? _What_ is it?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he said a little too quickly.

Jack nodded at Teal'c, who in the blink of an eye, had his large hand wrapped around Harry's throat, causing him to drop his apple and begin clawing desperately at the Jaffa's fingers.

Harry looked at Jack with bulging eyes. "You wouldn't," he gasped through a rapidly constricting windpipe.

Teal'c's lips curved upward ever so slightly. "Perhaps not, HarryMaybourne. But I would." He squeezed harder.

"Jack!" he pled, but Jack just shrugged indifferently, as Harry started turning purple. "Okay, okay," he wheezed. "Just...let me breathe!"

Jack nodded again and Teal'c released his hold. Harry inhaled dramatically and scowled at Teal'c as he rubbed his throat. Teal'c remained dispassionate as always.

Turning his attention back to Jack, he began to explain. "I found a tablet on Devanon that spoke of a powerful device, an ancient treasure, supposedly located on this planet. According to the tablet, the device was hidden at the monastery, so I went there pretending to be a monk." At that pronouncement, several eyebrows were raised. "It worked at first, and it gave me some time to look for the treasure, but after awhile the friars realized that I wasn't really a man of the cloth."

"What possibly could have given it away?" Jack asked, his voice brimming with sarcasm.

Harry lips curled in a half grin. "It was probably when they caught me in the broom closet with an extremely...penitent young woman. I tried to convince them I was taking confession, but for some reason they didn't believe me."

Sam made a sound of disgust. "You're married!" she exclaimed, conveniently ignoring the fact that he was actually married to three different women.

He turned a smarmy smirk on her. "Well, there's plenty of me to go around, Colonel. Feel free to keep that in mind, if you ever get bored with military men." He glanced intentionally at Jack.

Sam seethed, and Jack knew she was meticulously ticking off the ways in which she could kill the ex-NID agent both slowly and painfully. But he preferred the direct approach. "Teal'c," he said simply, inclining his head in Harry's direction.

Harry backed up immediately with both hands extended in front of him, as Teal'c began moving toward him. "Okay, okay! I'm sorry. No need to be so...touchy." He relaxed a bit when Teal'c stopped his advance.

He cleared his throat and quickly continued with his story. "As I was saying, they kicked me out of the monastery before I found what I was looking for. While I was trying to figure out a way to get back in, I heard that the Sheriff had discovered that I was looking for treasure. Now, I've never seen him, as he tends to keep to himself, but the rumor is that the Sheriff is a real bad guy. No one's sure where he came from, but he arrived with his own police force, and they've been shaking down the locals for awhile now." He shrugged. "It's neither here nor there as far as I'm concerned, but the Sheriff has apparently offered a reward for my capture, which is what encouraged me to rethink my stay on this planet. I was just about to give up the search and return home." He clapped his hands and rubbed them together. "But lucky me, I ran into you guys."

Daniel was bouncing on the balls of his feet, nearly at the end of his patience. "Can I see the tablet?" he asked, no longer able to contain himself.

Harry let out a derisive snort. "Please. It's not like I brought it with me! Do you have any idea how heavy a stone tablet is?" The archeologist's demeanor changed instantly from giddy to crestfallen, but Harry's half grin was back. "I find paper much easier to transport." With that, he pulled from his robes a single piece of parchment that appeared to be a rubbing, and Daniel's enthusiasm was instantly restored.

Daniel carefully pulled the parchment from Harry's grasp and glanced over the document quickly. "Well, it's definitely written in Ancient." After a few seconds, he looked up at Harry, startled. "You're looking for the Chariot?" Harry nodded.

"A chariot?" Jack asked. "Like the thing that gladiators rode around in?"

Daniel was still scanning the parchment as he spoke. "Well, yes, gladiators and medieval British nobility. But the chariot referenced in this document appears to be one of the Thirteen Treasures of Britain."

"Okaaay," Jack began, dragging out the word, "even if it is a British treasure, why would you want a chariot? Why would _we_ want a chariot, for that matter?"

Daniel was warming to his subject. "This chariot was supposed to be magical. It could take a man where ever he wished, instantaneously." He continued to look over the document, his eyes growing wide. "My god, do you know what this means?"

"We'd no longer have to worry about rush hour traffic?" offered Jack.

"No." Daniel shook his head and started stuttering, a sure sign that he was onto something exciting. "No, no, no, no, no. You don't understand. The Thirteen Treasures of Britain are associated with King Arthur, who is actually referenced in this document."

" _The_ King Arthur?" asked Jack, incredulous.

"Yes, that one." Daniel began talking so quickly he was almost tripping over his words. "Legend has it that Merlin took the Chariot and the other twelve treasures with him when he died, never to be seen by mortal eyes again. But according to this tablet, he actually gave the Chariot to Sir Bors, one of Arthur's Knights of the Round Table, who brought it here."

"Wait," interrupted Sam. "So you're saying that Arthur, Merlin, and the Knights of the Round Table traveled through space?"

"I don't know," he replied. "But this tablet, found on another planet and written in Ancient, would seem to indicate as much."

Now it was Sam's turn to shake her head. "But the Ancients pre-date King Arthur by several millennia."

"Aha," said Harry, holding up a index finger. "We know that the Ancients could travel through time. Perhaps you'll recall that there are columns on my planet, written in Ancient, that tell of future events. And then, of course, there's the time machine you appropriated when last you visited..."

"Oh no," Jack began, with both of his index fingers raised. "Do _not_ start with the time travel!"

"In any event, let's not lose sight of the most important thing here," Harry said, drawing the attention of the group. "I haven't been able to _find_ the treasure. I looked all around the stables, and just about everywhere else on the monastery grounds, and I didn't see anything remotely resembling a chariot."

"That's because you were looking in the wrong place," said Daniel matter-of-factly.

Harry crossed his arms over his chest. "Where else would you find a chariot?"

"That's just it," replied the archeologist. "I don't think the Chariot is literally a, well, chariot."

"Why not?"

"This sentence here." Daniel pointed to the parchment. "It translates: 'The Chariot was given by Merlin into the safekeeping of Sir Bors, who took it with him when he left for Nottinghamshire and kept it _always on his person_ as he lived out the remainder of his days at the Franciscan Friary.'"

Harry grasped his chin as if deep in thought. "Huh. It's possible my Ancient may be a little rusty."

"You got all that from a rubbing?" asked Jack, skeptically.

The archeologist shrugged. "More or less."

"Daniel," asked Sam, "who is Sir Bors? That name sounds familiar."

"Sir Bors was one of the Knights of the Round Table who was best known for accompanying Galahad and Percival on their quest for the Holy Grail. It makes sense that if treasures such as the Chariot existed, Arthur or Merlin would have given them to the Knights of the Round Table, either for safekeeping or possibly to assist with the search for the Grail." He turned to face the ex-NID agent. "Harry, does the monastery have catacombs?"

"Yes," he replied cautiously. "But they're creepy and dark. Why?"

"Because it's possible Sir Bors is still at that monastery, and if we can find him, I'm betting we'll find the Chariot."

Without warning, the door to the room was thrown open, causing all five of the occupants to jump. An extremely irate barkeep entered, his cheeks puffed out in anger and his face red. "You!" he said, pinning Harry with a glare. "I thought I heard your voice in here." He looked around at the others, as if he only just realized they were there. "He's part of your group?" he asked, jerking his thumb in Harry's direction.

"Er, sort of...?" Jack hedged.

The barkeep's eyes widened, and almost instantly his demeanor changed. He relaxed perceptibly, and a wide smile emerged on his face. "Of course! Why didn't you tell me you were with them in the first place?" he asked Harry, who looked at Jack, confused by the sudden turn of events.

"Please," the barkeep continued, "consider your debt to me forgiven, father. The Friar Tuck is always welcome in my establishment!"

TBC...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Thirteen Treasures of Britain and their connection to King Arthur are actual legend. Per canon, SG-1 found another one of the Thirteen Treasures in Season 9: Arthur's Mantle. Reportedly, this was the treasure JK Rowling used as inspiration for the Cloak of Invisibility in the Harry Potter series. Interesting, no?


	5. Chapter 5

It was just before dawn when Jack woke the following morning. Because the moon had set and the sun had yet to rise, the room was almost pitch black. They had stayed up late discussing the treasure and Harry's experience in the monastery. Jack was exhausted, but he knew his military training would prevent him from going back to sleep. He was just about to climb out of bed, when he realized that something soft and warm was pressed up against the length of his body. He smiled. Sam.

He decided then and there that this was one opportunity he was not going to miss. Carefully, he rolled onto his side and nuzzled her hair while snaking an arm around her waist. He gave passing thought to the fact that she seemed a little softer around the middle than he would have expected, but he shrugged it off. She could get as big as a house, and he wouldn't care.

He put his lips next to her ear. "I'm really sorry we didn't get a chance to do this before," he whispered.

But the response was an octave lower than Jack anticipated. "Maybe if you hadn't shot me on that moon..." replied Harry.

Jack sprang out of the bed, as though he'd received an electrical shock. "Gah!" he shouted. He dove for his gun and aimed the pistol at Harry's head. "I'll shoot you again, Maybourne!"

"Actually," came a more feminine voice from the other side of the room, "I think you make a cute couple. Sir." The honorarium came just a tad too late to be entirely proper. Jack couldn't see Sam's face very well in the dim light, but he could hear the smile in her voice. Slowly, he lowered his weapon.

"Yeesh, Jack," said Harry, who had propped himself up on his elbows. "No need to take your frustrations out on me. Maybe you should get a wife." He smirked. "Or three."

"Now _I'm_ going to shoot you, Maybourne," Sam replied, all humor gone.

Within the next few minutes, the room lightened substantially. Unfortunately, Jack's mood did not. In order to keep from killing Harry, he focused on gathering his things while carefully avoiding looking at Sam. He had no idea whether she'd heard what he'd whispered to Harry, but he was betting she had a fair idea. "Come on," he said gruffly. "We need to get going."

"Yes, I think the sooner we get to the monastery, the better," agreed Daniel, who had just walked in the door, trailed by Teal'c.

Jack whipped his head around in Daniel's direction. "Uh uh. No way. We found Maybourne, the treasure's not a ZPM or a space gun, despite what I was led to believe." He risked a pointed glance at Sam. "We're going home."

"Come on, Jack." Daniel pled. "Aren't you the least bit curious?"

Jack checked his pistol. "Nope."

"Sir," began Sam. "We have no idea what this Chariot can do, and all evidence points to the fact that it's Ancient in design."

He placed the gun in its holster at his waist and finally met her gaze. "Look, the last time I messed with something Ancient in design my brain got fried and I turned into a popsicle for several months."

Sam flushed and dropped her head. Damn it, Jack thought, instantly regretting his words. He had forgotten that time had been almost as difficult for her as it had for him. Maybe more so.

"No," corrected Daniel, attempting to salvage the situation. "The last time you messed with something Ancient, you saved the world." The corners of his mouth turned upwards ever so slightly. "Plus, we defrosted you."

But Jack didn't miss a beat. "Alright, what about this Sheriff then? We know he's after Maybourne. We think he wants the treasure, too. Who's to say he doesn't come through us to get it?"

"Well, that's another thing. Don't you think the timing of his arrival is awfully suspicious? Shouldn't we check him out? Maybe we could do these people a favor and remove him from the position he's apparently abusing."

"Forget it, Daniel! We didn't come here to play hero."

Teal'c's deep baritone rumbled throughout the room. "Are we not heroes already, O'Neill?"

"Et tu, Brute?" Jack replied, but the Jaffa simply stared at him with a somewhat puzzled expression.

Daniel decided to try a different tact. "Where's your sense of adventure, Jack?"

"I cannot believe you just said that to me."

"I understand why you want to leave, sir," said Sam.

"Thank you, Carter." Jack gestured in her direction. "Finally! The voice of reason."

She smiled ever so faintly. "After all, that big, leather chair back at the SGC must be pretty comfortable."

Jack gaped at her for several seconds, but she held his gaze, defiantly. She really knew how to get to him, and he still wasn't sure he was comfortable with that notion. The truth was he was having more fun on this mission than he'd had since he assumed command of the SGC, and despite all logic, he really wasn't ready to leave. Not to mention, he still hadn't sorted things with Sam. He was fairly sure his morning snuggle with Harry had set things back a bit.

He threw his hands up in the air in mock defeat. "Oh alright, fine!" He pointed at Daniel, then Sam. "But the moment this mission turns pear-shaped, which it inevitably will, we are out of here. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," Sam replied, grinning broadly now.

"And another thing." He was on a roll. "We're going after the treasure, and only the treasure. I have no desire to get caught up in local politics."

"Great!" interjected Harry. "When do we leave?"

Jack spun on his heel and began waggling his finger in Harry's face. "Oh no. You're going home."

"Don't be ridiculous, Jack," the ex-NID agent replied. "How are you ever going to find the monastery without me?"

"Gee, I don't know, Harry. Maybe ask someone to point us in the direction of the big church?"

"Okay, how are you going to get in?" he continued. "How will you know where to go? The monastery is huge, and the Abbot is rumored to be in league with the Sheriff. You wouldn't last two minutes in there before some nervous friar found you and turned you in." He spread his arms wide and gave Jack an insincere smile. "Besides, what are Robin Hood and his Merry Men without Friar Tuck?"

oOoOoOo

Though they'd planned to leave quickly and quietly that morning after a hasty thanks to the barkeep, the patrons from the night before apparently had other ideas. When they made their way down to the tavern, they were greeted by at least fifty people, all of whom cheered when the group made their appearance.

One boisterous hour and a hearty breakfast later, the group finally made their way out of the tavern and onto the trail to begin the day long trek to the monastery. The patrons' well wishes and pleas to rid the shire of the Sheriff drifted through the forest for quite a while after their departure, causing the group to revisit the debate over whether to get involved in the affairs of the local inhabitants. Soon, all but Sam and Jack were left disputing either side of the issue, the argument continuing to rage long after Teal'c, Daniel, and Harry had tired of it.

After a particularly heated exchange, Harry rolled his eyes and fell back in step with Teal'c, who was walking behind him. "Lovers' spat?" he asked the Jaffa, indicating the bickering officers at the front of their line.

Teal'c glanced at him sideways for just a moment before returning his gaze to the path ahead. "O'Neill and Colonel Carter are not romantically involved."

Harry stopped in his tracks. "Come on. Really?" Teal'c kept walking. "Even after all this time?" he called after him, then hurried to catch up. "Huh," he continued without receiving a reply. "The NID had bets on when they'd hook up, you know. Even when I was there. And that was what? Five years ago? That's a long time to carry a torch." Still, Teal'c did not respond. Jack and Sam, however, argued even more vociferously. "Are they always like this?"

"No," Teal'c replied.

"So this is a recent development, huh?"

"Yes."

"They've got it bad for each other, don't they?"

Teal'c paused for a split second before answering. "Indeed."

Harry grinned wickedly. "Hey, Jack!" he yelled, causing the entire party to stop and stare at him. "Why don't you just kiss her and get it over with?"

Sam flushed instantly, while Daniel just shook his head. Jack, a murderous look on his face, reached for his gun for the second time that day, causing Harry's grin to fade a bit.

Fortunately for him, they were all suddenly distracted by four men dressed almost entirely in green, who emerged from the forest and surrounded them, swords and bows at the ready.

"Halt!" said one with a broadsword and a pointy red goatee. "You will come with us."

The members of SG-1 backed into a tight circle and drew their weapons. "Oh, I don't think so," replied Jack.

But at that moment, at least fifteen more men emerged from the cover of the trees, including several who swung from vines overhead. Pointy beard smiled. "Perhaps you misunderstood. It was not a request, Robin Hood."

TBC...


	6. Chapter 6

"I'm afraid you'll have to surrender your armament," the man stated, though no one moved. The forest was suddenly eerily still as the members of SG-1 faced off against the group of green clad men, their weapons drawn against each other. Pointy Beard simply waited patiently, a vague smile playing at the corners of his mouth. Jack tried to repress the urge to zat him.

"Uh, Jack?" Daniel asked softly, interrupting his train of thought.

He glanced at the archeologist, who was standing beside him with his sword arm outstretched. "What is it, Daniel?"

"I don't think we're going to win this one."

"Maybe not with these weapons," he replied quietly, hoping that their attackers couldn't hear them.

Taking his cue from that statement, Teal'c slowly lowered his staff into a horizontal position and moved his finger toward the trigger. With a loud "thwack," an arrow flew from somewhere above and pierced his shoulder, striking a nerve and causing him to drop his staff, though the Jaffa barely flinched otherwise. Instantly, Jack's free hand flew under his cape in search of his pistol. But the group surrounding them was faster, and in a blink of the eye, they had closed in on the team with the tips of their swords now at their throats.

Jack glared at Pointy Beard, whose broad sword was pressed to his neck, the tip a hair's breadth away from drawing blood. "Give up yet?" the military man asked, hoping his sarcasm would somehow distract his captor. Unfortunately, Pointy Beard's grin merely widened. Jack glared at the man for a full minute longer, contemplating his options and coming up with none.

"Sir?" asked Sam this time, as she stared down the length of the blade that rested under her chin.

"Okay, fine!" Jack finally conceded angrily, dropping his sword to the ground and easing his pistol back into its holster, with the hope that none of the green men would notice. His team followed suit, reluctantly lowering their weapons, which their captors hastily collected.

"See," said Pointy Beard, "that wasn't so difficult, now was it?" He leaned toward Jack. "But I really must insist that you hand over all of your weapons, even the ones you have hidden under your cape."

Jack swore silently, then with a grunt removed his pistol and his zat and handed them to the man, who looked at the weapons curiously before passing them to his companions. "Careful with that," Jack warned, as one of the men grabbed his gun by the barrel.

Much to Jack's chagrin, Pointy Beard turned his attention to Sam, who had made no move to comply with his request. "M'lady," he said, leering at her as he reached beneath her cape. Sam shrugged him off, giving him a death glare for his trouble. But the man was undeterred. "Ah, I do appreciate a woman who is as spirited as she is beautiful. But if you refuse to cooperate, tragically, I will be forced to search you."

"Watch it, buddy," Jack growled, as Sam begrudgingly gave him her zat and handgun.

Pointy Beard turned around to face him. "Of course," he smirked. "Apologies m'lord. I assume, then, that the Lady Marian is already spoken for?"

"She speaks for herself," replied Jack. "But just so we're clear," he continued in a low and dangerous tone, "if you touch her again, you'll be speaking with me, too."

An all too familiar voice drew their attention. "No need to push!" Harry yelled, as he was roughly prodded by another man in green at the edge of the trail.

"We found this one hiding behind a tree, a short way down the path," the man reported to Pointy Beard.

"Figures," mumbled Daniel to Jack, who simply scowled at the would be friar. He'd wondered where Harry had gone.

"Your weapons, please, Father," said Pointy Beard.

Harry chuckled. "As you know, it would be contrary to my gentle and pious nature to carry weapons."

"Come now, Friar Tuck," the man in green replied. "Your reputation for piety is as dubious as your claim to be unarmed."

With a long suffering sigh, Harry reached under his robes and unwillingly pulled out a buck knife and a short sword. Unimpressed, Pointy Beard motioned for more, and after a moment's hesitation, Harry also brought out a zat, a pistol, a whip, and a pair of nunchucks. Daniel let out a low whistle.

"Harry!" exclaimed Jack, the crease between his eyebrows deepening.

But the ex-NID agent simply shrugged. "What? It's dangerous out there." Jack rolled his eyes and realized with some consternation that he'd been doing a lot of that lately.

All of their weapons collected, Pointy Beard indicated that the team should follow him. "Come, and we'll see to your friend's arm."

"Where are we going?" asked Jack, who stood in place.

Pointy Beard smiled at him again, and the urge to zat him returned. Unfortunately, all of their zats were now in the hands of their captors.

"To our village," he replied, "where we can discuss your presence in Nottinghamshire in greater comfort - and privacy. I assure you, you will not be harmed."

"Tell that to my friend," Jack scoffed, indicating Teal'c, who still had an arrow through his shoulder.

Pointy Beard inclined his head and, for the first time that day, spoke to them in a serious tone. "You will all remain safe, so long as you come peacefully." He gestured for them to proceed him. "Please."

And with that, the team followed the green men into the depths of Sherwood Forest.

oOoOoOo

They hiked through the forest on a hidden trail for several hours. Harry complained so often that the green men threatened to shoot him, which frankly would have been just fine by Jack. It wasn't until one of the men attempted to gag him that he finally stopped talking.

As the shadows in the forest began to grow long, the group came upon a large area where the trees were spaced somewhat further apart, and Pointy Beard called a halt.

"We're here," he proclaimed.

"And where is here, exactly?" Jack asked, looking around for anything notable. Pointy Beard gave him a half grin and pointed up toward the sky. Jack followed his finger, and his jaw dropped. "Whoa."

In the tops of the trees there was an entire village. At least fifty huts were built on multi-level platforms resting in the large branches of the towering oaks. Everywhere he looked, Jack saw people moving along the ladders and wooden pathways connecting the structures above.

"Oh...wow," muttered Daniel.

"This is amazing," added Sam.

"Indeed."

Jack looked sharply at Pointy Beard. "What is this place?"

"This is where we live," he replied. "If you'll follow me, there is someone I'd like you to meet."

He approached one of the larger trees and gave a short whistle. Immediately, something akin to a large basket was lowered to the ground. They climbed in, and with another whistle, the basket slowly began to rise. Approximately half way up the tree, they exited onto a wooden deck.

"From here, I'm afraid it's a bit of a climb," Pointy Beard said with a grin, then seemingly flew up the trunk. From several feet up he waved to the team, encouraging them to follow, using what Jack could now see were footholds set into the bark. The military man cringed just thinking about his knees, and for the first time, he began to have second thoughts about tagging along on this mission. Groaning inwardly, he began to climb.

Several steps and two aching kneecaps later, the group emerged on a platform situated in the highest branches of the largest tree. On the opposite side of the trunk, several of the tree branches intersected and formed a chair of sorts upon which sat a silver haired woman who Jack thought must have been as old as the forest itself.

As they made their way toward the woman, Pointy Beard gave her a quick bow. "Elsa," he said, "may I present Robin Hood, Maid Marian, Will Scarlet, Little John, and the Friar Tuck." He gestured to each member of the group in turn.

Elsa took a moment to appraise them carefully. "Thank you, Arden. That will be all for now." He nodded, spun on his heel, and began making his way back down the tree.

Jack watched him go, then turned to address the older lady. "Pardon me for being rude, but...who are you?"

She chuckled. "I'll tell you, if you tell me." She stared at Jack with twinkling eyes, but he was in no mood to play games with this woman. He and his team had been accosted, disarmed, and drug halfway through the forest by her men. Besides, his knees were throbbing.

Realizing that she wasn't going to get an answer, the woman capitulated. "Alright, I'll go first, then. I am Elsa, the elder of this village and protector of the great forest. The people you see around you have lived in this wood for hundreds of years. They are the descendants of the real Robin and Marian and the original Merry Men." She paused, and Jack couldn't help but notice that Daniel's eyes had widened in fascinated awe. "Now it's your turn," she continued, cocking her head slightly. "Who are you, where do you come from, and why are you impersonating our ancestors?"

Jack looked at their resident diplomat. "Daniel? Care to field this one?"

Daniel shifted from one foot to another. "Uh...well, my name is Daniel Jackson, and this is Jack O'Neill, Samantha Carter, Teal'c, and Harry Maybourne. We're travelers, from a planet called Earth. We came through the Stargate, er, the Sorcerer's Eye, in search of this man, here," he said, indicating Harry, "but we didn't mean to impersonate anyone - that was all a misunderstanding."

Elsa inclined her head toward him. "I appreciate your candor, Daniel Jackson. But can you tell me why, now that you have found your missing man, you have not returned through the Eye?"

"Yes, tell us why that is, Daniel," Jack said wryly.

"We're looking for an artifact that was brought here from Earth. We believe it is a dangerous device, one that we would not want to fall into the wrong hands, such as your Sheriff."

"I see," she replied. She picked up one the zats Arden had left for her and, turning it over in her hands, studied it thoughtfully. "Perhaps we can help one another."

Jack raised his eyebrows. "Oh?"

"We can assist you in acquiring this artifact."

Jack crossed his arms. "Even assuming that's true, what's in it for you?"

Elsa's mood sobered. "It has been many years since anyone traveled through the Eye, but when the Sheriff arrived half a cycle ago, it was clear to us that he was not from this world. Within a matter of days, our King had disappeared and the Sheriff had installed himself as regent in his place. At first, the people were suspicious and doubted his rule, but the army of men he brought with him easily quashed any attempts at rebellion. Anyone who took up arms or even spoke against him was slaughtered, their lands taken, their families tortured." She stopped for a moment and bowed her head before continuing, her voice becoming harder as she spoke. "His deputies are vicious and strong. They use strange weapons, weapons far more powerful than any we possess. Weapons much like these." She held up the zat.

Jack shook his head. "I understand that we may have weapons to match theirs, but we're only four-"

"Ahem," interrupted Harry.

"Okay...five people. What makes you think we can take on an army?"

"Robin Hood, Marian, and their friends were great heroes when they lived. They were clever and brave, strong and just. They defeated an evil ruler and saved the people of this shire hundreds of years ago and, according to our legends, promised to return again when needed most." She leaned toward the group. "Word of your arrival has already spread far and wide. The people of Nottinghamshire believe in you. They think the heroes of old have come once more to save them from the Sheriff and his men. For the first time in many months, they have a will to fight and, more importantly, hope." She looked directly at Jack. "Now, all we need is for you to lead them..."

oOoOoOo

By the time the sun had set, Elsa's people had tended to Teal'c's shoulder and provided the group with all the food and beer they could eat and drink, which for Harry was turning out to be quite a bit. Fortunately, Elsa had decreed that they were to be treated as guests, rather than prisoners, and as a result, they had been left to their own devices following dinner. After checking on Teal'c, Jack went in search of Sam, who had all but disappeared. He finally found her sitting alone on a small upper platform in one of the taller trees, staring out into the darkness of the gathering night.

"Whatcha doin'?" he asked, as he stepped off the ladder leading to the platform.

She twisted around to look at him. "Arden tells me that some sort of nocturnal insects leave the trees en masse right at nightfall every time there's a full moon. They're bioluminescent, like fireflies. It's supposed to be an impressive sight."

"Ah," he replied, trying to tamp down an unexpected twinge of jealousy. He really didn't like the idea of Sam having private conversations with Arden. "Mind if I join you?"

"Of course not." She smiled at him and tried not to notice the grimace that crossed his face as he sat down beside her. His knees, she realized. It must have killed him to make the climb up to meet her after all they had done that day. She tried not to think too hard about what that might mean, but she couldn't ignore the butterflies that had suddenly taken flight in her stomach. "So," she began, as he swung his legs around so that they dangled over the edge of the platform like hers. "What do you think of this plan of Elsa's?"

"It was a compelling story she told us, but it doesn't change my mind. I still don't think we should get involved."

Sam felt her temper rise. "But it sounds as though this Sheriff isn't even from this planet! Don't we have an obligation to help these people if we can? What if our allies refused to help us?"

"Carter..." Jack started, his voice a warning. He took a deep breath and softened his tone. "Look, one thing at a time. Let's find this device. Once we have it, and maybe get a better idea of what's going on around here, we can discuss it." Sam looked like she was going to say something more, but he cut her off. "Ack! I just said I'd think about it, okay?"

She smiled at him again. She really had no desire to pick a fight at the moment. "Okay." She looked over his shoulder. "Where are the others?"

"Teal'c is kel'noreeming; I think he's hoping it will help his arm heal faster, though fortunately that archer knew what he was doing. There's very little damage. Daniel is cross examining Elsa about the minutiae of Nottingham's history, and last I saw Harry, he was conducting a prayer service for two young women who are apparently in need of absolution."

She lifted one eyebrow in a fair imitation of Teal'c. "And they think they can get that from Maybourne?"

"Well," he grinned, "he is a friar."

She snorted, and the two of them sat in comfortable silence, staring up at the night sky. After several minutes, Sam spoke, her voice so low, Jack almost didn't hear her. "Do you think we missed our chance, sir?"

Jack felt a cross between elation and panic. "To see the fireflies?" he asked automatically.

He was deflecting, falling back on his usual defenses, and she knew it. She gave him a soft smile, full of meaning, and looked down at her hands. Jack closed his eyes momentarily and tried to get his breathing under control. She had opened a door, and he'd be damned if he wasn't going to walk through it.

He stared at her, but she refused to meet his gaze. Swallowing hard, he mustered his courage. "I hope not, Carter," he said quietly.

Her eyes flew to his, and for a moment, time stood still. Images from the last eight years flashed through his mind: her blond head tucked beneath his as he held her; her blue eyes crinkling at the corners when he made her laugh; the kiss she didn't remember from the time loop; every single time he'd thought she'd left him, whether it was lying in the infirmary or trapped in a prison cell or showing him an engagement ring - and all of the times she'd somehow, miraculously, come back to him.

"Oh!" Sam exclaimed, startling him from his reverie. One of the insects had flown between them, it's body slightly smaller than a firefly, its abdomen flashing wildly with an amber light. As it flew higher, Sam stood to follow it, and Jack followed suit, the pain in his knees suddenly forgotten. She reached out and cupped the creature in her hands.

She spoke then, her tone wistful. "When I was really little, we were stationed in Mississippi for a year. We lived in an old neighborhood, full of oaks. I still remember catching fireflies with my father in our front yard." She paused, and Jack thought he saw her eyes glistening in the moonlight. "I can't remember the last time I saw a firefly."

With that, the one she was holding suddenly lit up her clasped fists. She smiled up at Jack, and he felt his heart skip a beat. He watched her, entranced, as she released it. At that moment, an endless number of the insects flew up behind her, their bodies lighting up intermittently, like thousands of twinkling earthbound stars. She gasped and turned in a circle to discover that she was surrounded by the creatures.

"It's beautiful!" she breathed.

But Jack only had eyes for her. "It certainly is," he replied softly.

When she turned around to face him, they were mere inches apart. Cautiously, she placed a hand on his chest over his heart, causing it to beat wildly. Gods, he was over fifty years old, but she made him feel like a teenager again. Without thought, he raised his hand to touch her face, cupping her cheek and lifting her head to his. He lowered his lips to meet hers and had just closed his eyes when-

"Hey, guys!" Daniel said as he poked his head over the edge of the platform. "Did I miss the fireflies?" Jack and Sam jumped apart and looked at him guiltily. The fact that he'd interrupted something important was apparent. "Um, sorry. Is it a bad time?"

"Yes," replied Jack.

"No," Sam said at exactly the same time.

They exchanged a glance. "It's all right, Daniel," she continued. "Come on up. You can still see a few."

Jack sighed and looked longingly at Sam. She wouldn't meet his gaze, but he thought he saw a light in her eyes, and he was pretty sure it wasn't just the fireflies.

At least that's what he hoped.

TBC...


	7. Chapter 7

Jack woke the following morning with a stiff back and no small amount of consternation over the fact that all of SG-1 had slept in the same treehouse room, which, unfortunately, left little opportunity for him to finish the conversation he had started with Sam the night before.

As they went about their business preparing for the new day, it became apparent that things between him and his former Second were back to the status quo, with Sam acting as though nothing had happened. And, he supposed, it really hadn't. After all, their almost kiss had never actually materialized, thanks to Daniel.

Jack shot the archeologist a pointed glare, causing the younger man to look over his shoulder and upon finding no one else there ask, "What?" But Jack just shook his head. He was starting to wonder if the Fates really were against him.

At least he hadn't woken up snuggled next to Harry, whom he just realized hadn't been seen since the night before. As if on cue, the would-be friar entered the room with a cat-who-ate-the-canary look and a cheeky "Miss me?" thrown casually in Jack's direction. Fortunately for Daniel, this provided an alternate outlet for Jack's irritation, with the military man spending the rest of breakfast staring at Harry through narrowed lids.

As the group was packing up to leave, Elsa entered the room, trailed closely by Arden. Though she couldn't have been more than five feet tall and ninety pounds soaking wet, she stood ramrod straight, her silver head held high and her eyes steely. "Have you made a decision then?" she asked Jack without any attempt at pretense, something he could definitely appreciate.

He faced the tiny but formidable woman. "I'm sorry, Elsa, but I don't think it would be appropriate for us to get involved in your affairs right now." Jack didn't miss the way Daniel and Sam shifted uncomfortably at this pronouncement.

"I understand," Elsa replied, though her disappointment was reflected on her face. "My men will guide you to the edge of the forest."

Jack gave her a nod. "Thank you," he said, before making his way toward the door.

"And Robin?" Elsa called after him. The military man turned around to look at her, followed quickly by all the others. "I hope you find what you are looking for." The last statement was spoken in a much softer tone of voice, and Jack could have sworn she glanced at Sam as she made it. He was suddenly quite certain she was referring to something other than the device at the monastery.

He cleared his throat uncomfortably and began the long climb down from the trees. Several people in the village watched them from the various platforms, and Jack couldn't shake the niggling sense of guilt that tickled the back of his mind. He tried, without much success, to remind himself that their mission was to secure useful technology for the good of their own planet, not to do battle on behalf of others not of their world.

Once they had climbed half way down the tall oak, they entered the crude wooden elevator, which slowly began to lower them the rest of the way to the forest floor. Jack noticed two young women watching from an adjacent platform, both of whom were unmistakably blushing and smiling at Harry. When one gave the the former NID agent a little wave, Jack turned to Harry with a questioning look.

Harry shrugged. "I, uh, may have told them I'd make them my queens." He glanced over at the two women. "I will come for you upon my return, my dears!" he shouted to them.

"Aren't your other wives going to be a little miffed?" asked Sam, in an acerbic tone.

Harry gave her a broad grin and leered at her suggestively. "The more, the merrier, I always say." Sam turned away in a huff, while Jack desperately tried to hide a small grin of his own.

From the upper platform, Arden stood next to Elsa as they watched the five strangers, led by two of their best men, disappear into the forest. "You're just letting them go?" he asked her.

Elsa smiled slightly. "They'll be back." After a moment of contemplation, she continued. "They are the ones, Arden. I'm sure of it. Even if they do not know it yet."

oOoOoOo

The group was led back to the main trail by Elsa's men, who seemingly melted into the forest without a word upon depositing them at the edge of the path. For the better part of the morning and early afternoon, they continued to travel toward the town in virtual silence, each team member lost in his or her own thoughts. Jack knew that the rest of SG-1 was not pleased with his refusal to help the people of Nottingham, and even he was beginning to rethink the wisdom of that decision.

Daniel jogged to catch up to Jack. He was surprised it had taken the archeologist this long. "Jack..."

"Daniel." He kept walking, his eyes on the trail.

"You know we have to help them."

Jack sighed. "Look, it's really none of our business. How do we even know that what they are saying is true? Maybe this Sheriff is the rightful ruler and these tree people are the bad guys. Wouldn't be the first time that's happened." Jack shuddered as he recalled his run in with Alar and the Eurondans. That situation still haunted him.

"You don't really believe that," Daniel replied.

He was right, Jack didn't believe it, but he wasn't about to admit to that fact. The truth was he was actually feeling strangely compelled to do something for Elsa and her people, yet he had no idea why. And that bothered him. A lot. "I'll think about it," he said finally.

"But Jack..." Daniel began, then stopped short. He was more than a little surprised to find that he had actually made some headway with their irascible leader. He hadn't been prepared for that and wondered, briefly, if Jack was feeling all right. "Okay," he said cautiously, still not quite believing that he had won even that small concession from the single most stubborn man in the universe.

Finally, the trees began to thin somewhat, and Harry announced that they were coming to the edge of the forest. Jack was just about to ask him how far it was to the monastery when they rounded a large bend in the trail and ran right into four men dressed in what appeared to be some sort of uniform, though with black tights this time, instead of green.

One of the men, presumably the leader, stepped forward with his sword drawn. "Stop in the name of the Sheriff of Nottingham!"

"This is getting a little old," Jack muttered under his breath.

"These are the Sheriff's deputies," whispered Harry. "I suspect they have no intention of letting us go."

The leader drew himself up tall. "State your business!" he demanded.

"Think we should tell him we're here to look for treasure?" Jack asked quietly.

"I do not," replied Teal'c.

Before Jack could stop him, Harry began walking toward the men, his arms outstretched in a beseeching manner. The military man groaned inwardly fearful of what was coming next.

"Please sirs," Harry began, "we have travelled through the great forest on a mission of mercy. My parishioner here," he said, indicating Jack, "has come to see his sister, whom we've been told has a terrible pox-" Without warning, one of the men struck him across the face, and Harry dropped like a sack of potatoes.

"Hey!" yelled Jack, unsheathing his sword. "Nobody hits my friar!"

In the next instant, the Sheriff's deputies attacked, and SG-1 found themselves in the midst of a heated battle. Not surprisingly, though, Jack and the others soon gained the upper hand, with Sam handily disarming one of the men, and Teal'c knocking another unconscious with his staff. Just as Jack landed a blow to the stomach of his opponent, he heard the unmistakable sound of a staff blast coming from somewhere close behind him. Too close.

He spun around to locate the source of the unexpected sound. "What the...?"

"Sir!" Sam shouted, as she hurled herself at his torso, knocking him backwards and causing them both to fall over the side of a steep ravine. Jack felt a wave a heat pass just overhead, so close he swore his eyebrows were singed. But he had little time to dwell on that, as he and his former Second tumbled down the steep and verdant incline, finally coming to a stop with Jack landing face up at the bottom and Sam falling hard, face down, directly on top of him.

For a moment, neither moved, too stunned by the turn of events to do anything other than lie there, breathing heavily, legs and arms entwined, with their bodies pressed closely together. Ultimately, though, the intimate nature of their positioning suddenly dawned on both them. Jack returned the shocked look Sam gave him with a wry grin. "Jeez, Carter. I'm flattered, but I'm not sure this is the time or place..."

She flushed, first with embarrassment, then anger, and it occurred to Jack just a little too late that perhaps it would have been wiser to hold his tongue. She stood quickly, pushing off of his prone body with more force than was really necessary, causing him to let out an involuntary "Oomph!"

"Those were staff blasts, sir," Sam said, her demeanor completely professional now. "We need to get back up there. Daniel and Teal'c may be in trouble."

She extended her hand to pull him up, and he grasped it thankfully. After a quick look around, they located their swords and began to search in earnest for the fastest way out of the ravine. Unfortunately, the only thing they found were several of the Sheriff's biggest deputies filing into the narrow space from either side, effectively trapping them there.

Worse yet, upon closer examination, Jack realized that it wasn't just their large stature and staff weapons that made these deputies different from the rest. One look at the mark on their foreheads and Jack knew instantly they were Jaffa - as well as which Goa'uld they served. "Daniel and Teal'c aren't the only ones in trouble," he muttered to Sam with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Out of nowhere, someone yelled, "Make way for the Sheriff!" and the Jaffa at one end of the ravine parted down the middle. A caped figure with a black goatee and an all too familiar face emerged, his zat trained on the two officers. Jack clenched his fists, as his worst fear was realized.

"Baal!" He raised his sword.

"Well, well, well, General O'Neill. Or should I call you 'Robin Hood?'" The Goa'uld smirked. "No matter. Either way, it would appear that you have brought a knife to a zat fight."

With that, he zatted Sam, and she fell in a heap to the ground. Blinded by fury, Jack lunged for Baal. "You son of a b-" But something hard, most likely the blunt end of a staff weapon, hit him in the back of the head before he could reach the snake.

His last thought before he blacked out was of Sam.

TBC...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You saw that coming, right? ;)


	8. Chapter 8

Sam woke up to find herself lying on a cold and damp stone floor. Having been in so many of these places, she immediately recognized it for what it was - a prison cell, and not a particularly nice one at that. It was almost completely dark, but at least the cell had a window, high and small as it was. It was far too small to crawl out of, of course, but through it she could see that it was nighttime. Lord, she thought, she must have been out for hours. There was no way a zat would have put her out of commission for so long, and she wondered with some concern what she had been given to keep her unconscious.

She sat up carefully and let out a groan. Whatever the drug was, it was causing her head to spin. After a quick self-inventory, though, she determined that she was otherwise uninjured, and for that she was thankful. Almost instantly, the events of the past several hours began to come back to her. They'd been traveling though the forest on the way to Nottingham in search of a treasure when Baal attacked her and Jack. It suddenly dawned on her that he should be there, too.

Desperately, she began to look around the dark cell, but she couldn't see anyone else, unconscious or otherwise. "Sir!" she whispered but received no response. She tried again, louder this time, to no avail. The thought of Jack once again being in Baal's hands caused the bile to rise in the back of her throat. Trying to quash a rising sense of dread, she called urgently to the rest of the team - Daniel, Teal'c and even Maybourne - but still no one answered.

Finally, from the darkness, just out of sight, she heard an unfamiliar voice. "I'm afraid we're the only ones down here."

She gasped, because she had just about convinced herself that she was alone. Peering into the darkness beyond her cell, she thought she could just make out the form of a man, sitting with his back against the wall of the cell across from hers. After her heart rate slowed down a bit, she spoke. "And where is 'here' exactly?"

"The dungeon. In Nottingham Castle. The largest and most impressive in seven shires. Impenetrable, or so they say."

"Great," she muttered. She squinted as she tried to discern a face in the amorphous form. "Who are you?"

"My name is Richard," he replied simply.

She stood and started to walk around her cell, examining it carefully for any possibility of escape. "How long have you been here, Richard?" she asked, running her hands along the walls and testing the bars enclosing the front of the space.

He laughed, though the sound held no humor whatsoever. "I've been a resident here most of my life."

Just as she was about to ask if he knew anything about her team, she heard a noise, far off but getting closer.

"Someone's coming," said Richard.

Sam backed away from the front of the cell and waited as the sound of a small group of people approaching grew louder. Someone must have been carrying a torch, because the flames licked the damp walls of the hallway leading to the dungeon and provided enough illumination for her to properly examine her surroundings. Unfortunately, the sight was not improved by the additional light.

She risked a glance over at Richard and was somewhat surprised to see an old man with white hair and a long beard. He was dirty but appeared to be in relatively good health for someone who had spent most of his life in a dungeon. But she had no time to dwell on that mystery, because Baal had just arrived with three of his Jaffa, one of whom was in fact carrying a torch.

"Major Carter," he smirked at her, as he came to stand in front of her cell, arms crossed.

Sam eyed him warily. "It's Colonel now, actually."

"Ah, well, my apologies, _Colonel_." He dipped his head in mock deference to her. "Though I think I shall call you Marian henceforward." He gestured for one of the Jaffa to open the cell.

She knew that, whatever the reason for letting her out of the cell, it couldn't lead to anything good. "What are you doing?" she asked, backing up a little further.

"Unless you would prefer to have my Jaffa forcibly remove you from this dungeon, Lady Marian, I would suggest that you come with me. Quietly."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "What do you want with me, Baal?" She was talking tough, but deep down she was nervous. He may not have ever shared the details with her, but she was well aware of how Jack had suffered at the hands of this monster, how he almost broke. She felt a frisson of fear, for Jack as much as herself, but tamped down on it immediately.

Baal cocked his head at her and smirked. "I have a proposal for you, my dear. One that I'm certain you won't be able to refuse."

She really didn't like the sound of that.

oOoOoOo

The first thing he noticed was the birdsong. The damn creature just would not shut up.

The second thing he noticed was that he was lying on the ground, and his entire body ached, especially his head.

The third thing he noticed was that it was light. He tried to open his eyes, but it was bright - too bright! So he squeezed his lids shut.

He would have given serious consideration to passing out again, except the infernal bird - not mention the pounding in his head - was making it impossible. Instead, he indulged in a short fantasy about hunting the bird down and roasting it on a spit. In the end, though, that really wasn't making him feel any better, so he brought his fists to the side of his throbbing head and groaned. He thought maybe that would help, but no such luck. No, the only thing that got him was a concerned-looking Daniel kneeling over him. At least he was blocking the sun.

"Jack! Thank god. We were getting worried."

Jack struggled to sit up without losing the contents of his stomach. He rubbed the back of his head, where he felt a lump the size of a grapefruit. "Ugh. What happened?"

"You were knocked out by one of Baal's Jaffa."

"Oh yeah," he replied. He cracked one eyelid and looked around to find himself sitting in a makeshift camp in a small clearing just within view of the forest trail. Teal'c was keeping watch a short distance away, but there were none of Baal's Jaffa in sight. "Where'd they go?"

Daniel smiled slightly. "Elsa's men began shooting them full of arrows from the cover of the trees, and Baal fled. Apparently, she had more than just two of them following us, and they didn't stop when they dropped us off at the trail."

He grunted. Despite his Special Forces training, he'd had no idea they were being followed by Elsa's men. He made a mental note to be more wary of older women who lived in trees.

A sickening thought suddenly occurred to him, and despite the pain, he twisted his head around, looking in all directions, before pinning Daniel with a glare. "Wait. Where's Carter?"

Just then, Teal'c approached, and he and Daniel exchanged a look. It was Teal'c who finally responded. "Baal has captured her."

All of the color rushed out of Jack's face, and he felt his heart drop into his stomach. Images of his time with Baal flashed through his mind - the bastard's perpetual smirk, the little drops of acid that slowly ate their way through his flesh, the despair he felt each time he woke up in the sarcophagus knowing the pain and torture would soon start again. But the thought that Sam, _his Sam_ , might be subjected to the same misery was even worse than having experienced it himself.

He grabbed a fistful of Daniel's shirt and pulled him closer. "How long? How long was I out?"

"Uh," Daniel began uncertainly, as he tried in vain to loosen Jack's grip on him. "You've been unconscious since yesterday afternoon. You were out all night. We weren't sure-" Daniel stopped abruptly as Jack used his hold on him to leverage himself up from the forest floor. "Jack! What are you doing?"

He swayed, clearly unsteady on his feet. "We have to go get her."

"You have sustained a major head injury, O'Neill," Teal'c commented passively. "You require rest."

Jack turned his glare on the large Jaffa. "It's _Baal_ , Teal'c. He's got Carter. He's had her the entire night."

"Look, Jack," Daniel explained, "it's not like we haven't already thought about that. But he's holed up in the castle with a hundred Jaffa."

The military man scowled. "I don't give a f-"

Daniel cut off his protest. "We've got a plan." He took a deep breath in preparation for what he knew was going to be an uphill battle with Jack. "We go to the monastery to look for the Ancient device while Elsa's men rally her people-"

"And that'll take what? Another 24 hours?" He was close to yelling now.

"It's possible," Daniel replied, attempting to keep his cool.

"Uh uh," Jack growled. "Not good enough, Daniel. There's no way I'm letting that snake have her another minute."

Teal'c's smooth baritone interrupted their sparring. "We do not believe she is in any immediate danger, O'Neill."

"You have no way of knowing that," Jack retorted, but the Jaffa's words must have had the desired effect, because he seemed to calm down a bit.

Harry approached the group, clasping a rolled up piece of parchment. "Actually, we do. Elsa's sources were correct. Baal issued the formal proclamation this morning."

Jack turned his glare on Harry. "What proclamation?"

Harry gave him a bemused half-grin, and Jack had to repress the urge to smack him. "Allow me to preface this by saying that you can hardly blame her, Jack. After all, it's not like she had any other offers." He handed him the parchment. "The Sheriff has announced his engagement - to the Lady Marian."

Jack opened the parchment as if to read it but was only able to understand a handful of the old English words. Certainly Harry couldn't mean what he thought he meant. He looked to Daniel for an explanation.

Daniel nodded. "Baal's going to marry Sam. Tomorrow."

TBC...


	9. Chapter 9

Sam studied the space for the hundredth time, looking for any possible means of escape. Unfortunately, Baal had moved her to an interior bedroom in the castle, and while it was far nicer than the dungeon, it had no windows and only one door that was closely guarded by at least two Jaffa. There wasn't even a fireplace, she noted, as she twisted around to double check.

"Please m'lady," said one of the maids who was currently fitting the skirt for her wedding gown. "You must remain still."

Sam let out a long suffering sigh. The moment he'd brought her up from the dungeon, Baal had ordered that she be bathed and given fresh clothing. Two maids, one who had to be at least 85 and the other not more than 16 years old, had unceremoniously stripped her, immersed her in a tub of lukewarm water, and scrubbed her with a horsehair brush, then provided her with only a thin, lacy gown to cover herself. She wasn't sure where her comfortable traveling clothes had gone, but she feared the women had burned them.

Adding insult to injury, the same maids had returned later that morning to begin fitting her for the dress she was supposed to wear at the wedding ceremony the next day. To her horror, they had stuffed her into a form fitting corset around which they had tied the beaded silk skirt that they were now pinning in earnest. Trying to look down to see what they were doing, she found her view completely blocked by her own breasts, which had been pushed up so high and so close together, she could practically rest her chin on them.

The only saving grace, she thought, was that at least the guys weren't here to see her like this, because they would never, ever let her live it down.

Unfortunately, that small comfort disappeared completely as Baal suddenly entered the room without warning. The older maid let out a startled, "M'lord!" For a moment, she looked as though she might chastise him for walking in on a woman only half dressed, but she quickly bit her tongue and lowered her gaze instead. It hardly mattered, though, as Baal's eyes were glued to Sam. He swept her form appraisingly, his gaze lingering on her chest.

"Go," he said to the maids, who scurried as quickly as possible from the room.

Baal approached her like a panther on the prowl, but Sam stood completely still, her head held high, as he walked all the way around her. In one swift movement, he untied the strings fastening the skirt to her waist, and it instantly fell to to floor, leaving her dressed in nothing but the form fitting corset. He continued his circuit and came to stand in front of her, an evil smile turning up the corners of his lips.

"You will make a fine bride," he said approvingly, his voice low and sultry.

"I'll die before I marry you," she spat through clenched teeth.

He chuckled. "I don't think so." Slowly, he pulled a long knife from the sheath belted at his side. Sam stared at it, wondering if she might somehow be able to wrest it from him. But he just grinned at her again and, as though reading her mind, began spinning the point of the blade against the tip of his index finger, taunting her.

"You know, of course," he began casually, "that I have General O'Neill. He is currently being...detained in another part of the castle." He approached her again, this time getting close enough to invade her personal space. Knife still in hand, he placed his hands on her back and pulled her to him, effectively trapping her arms by her sides. Sam stifled a gasp and tried to remain as still as possible as Baal pressed his cheek to hers.

"Perhaps you would like to hear about the last time he was my guest?" he whispered in her ear. "About how he screamed?" With a flick of his wrist, he cut the first loop of the bindings on her corset, then began moving his hands down her back. "How he pleaded and wept?" The second loop snapped on the blade. "And how your proud, strong General begged me to kill him?" Pop! went the third loop, and Sam knew the only thing holding the corset up was the fact that Baal's chest was pressed to hers.

Her heart raced, but she concentrated on keeping her breathing under control. "Of course," he continued, his lips almost touching her ear now, "I was happy to oblige because it gave me the opportunity to start our little torture sessions all over again. In the end, he told me all kinds of things, things about your planet...about Stargate Command...about _you_." With that, he cut the last loop and backed away, letting the corset fall to the floor. Sam stood before him, completely naked and trying desperately to keep from trembling, though whether from fear or rage she wasn't sure.

"You're a liar." She said the words with disdain and hoped like hell he couldn't see her doubt.

He stared at her coolly, letting his gaze rake her naked form. He spun the point of the blade on his finger again. "Am I? Perhaps I should start with the acid this time. See what other secrets I can pull from him as his flesh burns." He smirked. "But then, if you cooperate, I'm sure that won't be necessary."

Sam's control slipped, and she had to suppress the near crippling sense of despair that threatened to overwhelm her. Jack had been traumatized after his first experience with Baal, and at the time she'd worried he wasn't going to recover. She knew something awful must have happened. Worse yet, she knew she was responsible. The guilt she still felt for asking him to take the Tok'ra symbiote Kanan welled up unexpectedly, and she closed her eyes in an effort to keep her emotions under control.

She resolved then and there that she would never make him go though any of that again, regardless of the consequences. She opened her eyes and stared levelly at Baal. "Why do you want to marry me anyway?"

His grin widened, no doubt sensing victory. "I've found the people of this planet to be somewhat resistant to my rule and, as a result, less than forthcoming about the ancient treasures hidden here." Sam tried to hide her surprise, but he caught her startled look before she could compose her features. "Oh yes, I know all about that. Why do you think I'm here?"

He looked her up and down once more. "For some inexplicable reason, the people seem to hold you, or at least the person they believe you to be, in high regard. Marrying you will add legitimacy to my claim to the throne." He drew close to her once again. "Plus, I've always found you to have a certain appeal." He ran his fingers down the side of her face and lifted her chin to meet his gaze. "Whatever else I may think of O'Neill, he does have exceedingly good taste in women." For one terrible moment, she thought he was going to kiss her, but instead he released his hold on her and walked toward the door.

"After we are married and I've taken what I need from this planet, I will bring you with me to my home world and have you implanted with one of my lovers who has grown bored of her host." Baal spun around just in time to see Sam pale. "Don't look so upset, my dear. You will soon be my wife, and then you will know what it is to love a god!"

His eyes flashed once before he opened the door and left her standing naked in the middle of the room.

oOoOoOo

It had taken the better part of the morning, but Daniel, Teal'c, and Harry had finally convinced Jack that it would be better for everyone, including Sam, to wait until the day of the wedding to stage a rescue attempt. Between the fact that the castle was heavily guarded and the fact that Baal needed Sam alive in order to marry her, Jack had finally, albeit reluctantly, capitulated.

In addition, the extra day provided an opportunity for Elsa to rally her forces in the hope of ousting Baal and his Jaffa once and for all. It also gave the team time to try and locate the Ancient treasure hidden in the monastery. However, Jack made it clear that if the Chariot turned out to be nothing more than a fancy ride, he would harness Daniel to it himself and make him pull them all the way back to the 'gate.

The only problem with the plan was that they had no idea how they were going to get inside the monastery. Only the chapel, which was not connected to the other buildings, was open to the public, and Harry was currently persona non grata, having been unceremoniously expelled from the order of friars.

They had been trying to think of a solution for a good fifteen minutes, when Daniel suddenly sat straight up, eyes wide. Jack could almost see the light bulb over his head. "Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" he asked of no one in particular.

Daniel began to explain, his excitement evident in the way he began tripping over his words. "In the original tales, Robin Hood and his men would sometimes sneak into various places hidden in beer caskets. Now usually it was Friar Tuck who posed as the beer merchant, but that won't work in this case, since Harry isn't welcome at the monastery. But Teal'c could do it because he won't fit into the caskets anyway." He paused, slightly out of breath, and looked around the group, but all he received were blank stares. "Don't you get it? We can gain entry by hiding in barrels of beer." He grinned triumphantly, but Jack continued to glower at him.

"Have you lost your mind?" the military man exclaimed after several beats.

A slow smile, however, spread across Harry's face. "Actually, that plan might work. The friars would never refuse free beer."

Jack turned his glower on Harry, but by then it was too late. Even Teal'c was convinced. So, they spent the better part of the day rounding up three empty beer caskets and cart. By the time they had everything ready and had cobbled together a passable story the sun had slipped behind the curtain of trees in Sherwood Forest.

"I cannot believe I agreed to this," Jack groused, the moment he saw the caskets. He gestured in Teal'c's direction. "Why does he get to be the merchant?"

"I am unable to fit within the confines of these barrels."

Jack pried the lid off of one of the caskets and peered inside. "We're all too big to fit, Teal'c." He gave Harry a quick glance. "Well, most of us." He sniffed the contents of the barrel. "Gah! It smells like there's still beer in here!"

"I don't know why you're complaining, Jack," Harry replied. "I was under the impression you liked beer."

"I like to drink it, Harry, not bathe in it."

"It's the easiest way to get inside, Jack," Daniel explained, exasperated. "If you have any other ideas, I'm all ears."

Jack continued to complain even as he crawled into his barrel and folded his large form inside. Harry and Daniel followed suit, and once Teal'c had fastened the lids on top, he picked up the cart and began rolling it toward a small alcove on the side of the building that Harry had explained was used as the service entrance to the monastery. Teal'c raised his large fist and rapped firmly on the door. After several seconds, it opened just a crack, and a thin and balding friar stepped into the space.

He looked the Jaffa up and down. "Who are you?" he demanded, clearly suspicious.

"I am the beer merchant," Teal'c replied with absolutely no inflection in the tone of his voice. "I have come to give you beer."

"Jeez, we should've worked on his delivery," Jack whispered to the barrel next to him.

Daniel shushed him fervently.

The friar narrowed his eyes. "I don't know you. What is your name?"

"Uh oh," whispered Jack.

But Teal'c was unperturbed. He bowed his head and began to turn away. "Perhaps I should return another time."

"No, wait!" The friar reached out and grabbed Teal'c's arm. The Jaffa glanced at his hand then stared at small man pointedly, arching one perfectly sculpted brow. The friar dropped his hold immediately. "Would the beer be a...donation?"

"Indeed."

The friar practically licked his lips and threw the door open wide. "Please. The cellar is this way." He made a sweeping gesture toward the inside of the monastery.

"Nice!" said a beer casket, drawing a curious glance from the friar. Fortunately, he simply shook his head and continued to lead Teal'c into the heart of the monastery.

Once in the beer cellar, Teal'c began unloading the caskets, and the monk left him to his work. Quickly, he removed the lids, and the three men scrambled out of the barrels and stretched, trying to relieve their aching muscles.

Harry indicated that the others should follow him, and they stealthily began making their way through the monastery. Soon, they stood before a large oaken door set in the middle of a small passageway, and Harry informed them that they had arrived at the entrance to the catacombs.

Jack grasped the iron handle and pulled. The door opened with a loud creak, revealing a long, dark tunnel. He scanned the hallway to see if anyone might have heard, but the area was completely deserted. Teal'c and Daniel quickly filed inside. Jack motioned for Harry to follow, but he stood rooted to the spot, clearly uncomfortable.

"What?" Jack whispered urgently.

Harry shifted his weight nervously from one foot to the other. He gave a small shrug of his shoulder. "It's dark in there."

Jack gaped at him. "You can't be serious. You're ex-NID, for crying out loud! You've lived in the shadows most of your adult life. In fact, now that I think about it, you probably lived there in your youth, too."

"Yeah, but..." Harry shivered. "There are dead people down there."

Daniel rolled his eyes, but Jack just pushed Harry into the tunnel with one rough shove before pulling the heavy door closed behind them, submerging them in total darkness.

TBC...


	10. Chapter 10

"Turn on the lights!" Harry cried, his voice betraying his near panic.

Jack reached for the small flashlight he was carrying, though without any particular sense of urgency. He flipped the switch and directed the light in Harry's direction. The beam of Daniel's flashlight followed his, and Harry squinted and raised his hands to shield his face.

"Jeez, Harry. Relax, will ya?" Jack said, trying to suppress a grin. Harry merely glared at the military man in response.

Jack and Daniel swept the space with their flashlights, and the light bounced off of the damp stone walls that surrounded them. It appeared they were in a short tunnel that ended at a set of stairs that descended into darkness. As the group moved closer to the stairs, they noticed a marked drop in temperature. The distinct smell of mildew emanated from the somewhere below.

With an air of excitement, Daniel bolted down the stairs, followed closely by Teal'c. Jack grabbed a reluctant Harry, and pushing the would-be friar in front of him, took up the rear. After several steps, the stairway ended at a large earthen landing. Yet another tunnel, much wider than the first, ran into the unfathomable distance.

Daniel didn't hesitate to walk into the larger passageway, sweeping his flashlight back and forth before him. The light revealed smaller tunnels leading off of the main one and multiple recesses set at intervals along both walls, each containing long dead occupants in varying stages of decay.

Harry shivered once and threw his arms up in the air. "This place is huge! Not to mention creepy. How are we supposed to find the Knights of the Round Table in here?"

Jack inclined his head in Daniel's direction. "He'll figure it out. He's in his element now." The archeologist had begun muttering to himself, occasionally stopping to examine various parts of the wall on either side of the tunnel. He continued to wander down the crude hallway, followed closely by Teal'c.

Harry sat down on the bottom step of the staircase. "Fine. When he's got it, he can let us know."

"Oh, please, feel free to stay here, your Highness," Jack said, his voice brimming with mock deference. "We'll just pick you up when we're done." With that, he walked off, taking the flashlight with him and leaving Harry in almost total darkness.

Harry sprang to his feet. "No! Wait!" he yelled. Suddenly he let out a high pitched scream, practically throwing himself into arms of their military leader, who had turned around at the commotion.

"Gah! Get off of me!" Scowling, Jack pushed Harry away. "For cryin' out loud, you scream like a little girl."

Harry was breathing hard, and his eyes were wild. "Something crawled over my foot!"

"It was likely a rodent," Teal'c said from further down the long tunnel. "I have encountered several since we descended."

Harry began straightening his clothes, in an attempt to regain his composure. "Well that makes me feel so much better," he mumbled sarcastically, though this time he stayed close to Jack when he turned to follow the others.

One hour passed, and then another, as Daniel led them deeper and deeper into the catacombs, looking for some indication that Sir Bors or the other Knights of the Round Table were buried there. Like Harry, Jack was quickly beginning to lose his patience, due in no small part to his concern for Sam. He knew that Baal wouldn't kill her before the wedding, but he was growing increasingly concerned about what he might do to her in the meantime.

Daniel had been studying a small alcove off the main tunnel for several minutes. Jack watched him closely and tried to suppress the urge to yell at him. He sighed and shifted uncomfortably.

"Hmm," Daniel said finally.

"What?" Jack barked.

Daniel grasped his chin and rubbed his jaw. "Well, according to the dates on the crypts in this part of the catacombs, I would expect any Knights who lived during the time of King Arthur to be buried in this area here, but as you can see..." He gestured at the smooth stone walls of the empty alcove.

"DanielJackson," Teal'c called from just outside the small space. "I believe there is writing above the entrance."

Daniel and Jack and Harry joined Teal'c just outside of the alcove and followed his gaze to the space above the archway to the alcove. "Jack, shine your light up here," Daniel directed. He squinted up at the faint marks over the opening to the alcove. "I can't believe I didn't see this. It's in Latin. It says, 'The Bridge to Avalon may only be traversed by the pure of heart.'"

"Well that rules you out," Jack immediately said to Harry.

Daniel's eyes lit up and he began speaking quickly, his tongue almost tripping over his words, a sure sign of his growing excitement. "This has to be it! Avalon is a place straight out of Arthurian legend. It was supposedly the final resting place of King Arthur, who was taken there by Morgan Le Fay after being mortally wounded by Mordred in battle. According to legend, Arthur never really died but remained in Avalon awaiting the time when he would return to lead his people once more." He paused only to take a quick breath. "There must be an entrance around here somewhere. Look for a secret door or hidden passageway of some sort."

The four of them spread out to examine the walls of the alcove, but they found no cracks in the stone or any other indication that there was a hidden doorway nearby. Daniel was studying the exterior archway closely, wondering whether he might have missed something else, but it was Teal'c who ultimately discovered the crucial clue.

"Perhaps this is what you seek," he said, as he ran his hands over the rough stone, just inside the entrance to the alcove.

They gathered around the spot Teal'c indicated. Approximately half way up the wall was a small circular engraving, no bigger than a half dollar.

"It's a tree. Some sort of fruit tree," Harry offered, his nose pressed almost to the stone.

"Of course!" Daniel exclaimed. "Avalon was also known as the Isle of Apples."

Harry reached for the stone and gave it a push. "No, wait!" Daniel yelled, but nothing happened. He glared at the ex-NID agent. "It has to be activated by someone who is 'pure of heart.'"

"Told ya," Jack smirked.

Harry gave Jack a snarky sideways glance. "Well I'd say that rules out _all_ of us."

"It is unfortunate that Colonel Carter is not here," murmured Teal'c.

"Yeah, it is," Jack agreed, his voice rougher than he intended. The truth was he was really getting worried about her, and the longer Baal kept her captive, the more anxious he became. He tried to tamp down on his worry, but he knew if Baal harmed her in anyway, he'd never forgive himself.

Deep in thought, he absently ran his hand over the stone. To his utter astonishment, it began to glow. He jumped backwards. "Whoa!"

Suddenly, the stones on the floor inside the alcove lit up in a circle.

"Uh, Jack? What did you do?" asked Daniel warily, looking at the ground as it glowed beneath his feet.

"Nothing! I just touched the tree."

"I believe this is a transportation platform," Teal'c said calmly.

Quickly, Daniel moved inside the circle to stand beside Teal'c. Jack grabbed Harry by the back of his robes and pulled him into the center of the floor as well. The next instant, they were surrounded by five sets of rings rising in quick succession from the floor, and in a flash of light, they were transported to an entirely different room. By the look of the familiar stone walls, Jack surmised they were still somewhere in the catacombs.

"No offense, Jack, but I've read your file, and I'm gonna have to question their definition of 'pure!'" Harry protested.

"Hey!"

Daniel cleared his throat. "I think it must have something to do with your Ancient gene..."

Without warning, an elderly man with a long white beard and ornate robes appeared in front of them. Harry let out another girly scream, but Jack silenced him with a firm jab to the ribcage.

The elderly man spread his hands wide and smiled. "Welcome, good knights, to Avalon."

"Er, thanks," Jack replied.

Daniel leaned toward Jack and said in a low voice, "I think it's a hologram, Jack. Like Thor on Cimmeria?"

"Ah. Right. I knew that."

The hologram continued. "You are no doubt nearing the end of your quest. Now, I encourage you to find what you desire, but I must caution you to take only what you need." Just as quickly as he appeared, the old man was gone.

"Well that was helpful," Harry said wryly.

Daniel nodded. "Yep, that's about what we've come to expect."

The group began to look around the new room in which they found themselves. It's gray rock construction was similar to the rest of the catacombs, but the space was much larger than any other they had yet seen, with a domed roof and no discernible exit. Thirteen raised coffins were positioned in a circle around the center of the room, each adorned with statuary chiseled from stone, presumably in the image of the individuals buried inside. The entire place seemed to glow with an eerie blue light.

As Daniel examined the coffins, he became increasingly excited. "This is incredible! If I'm interpreting the inscriptions on these coffins correctly, we have actually discovered the final resting place of the Knights of the Round Table!"

"Focus, Daniel. Let's just find this Chariot and get the hell out of here," said Jack.

Teal'c shoved the top half-way off one of coffins, causing Daniel to cringe. He peered inside. "That may prove difficult, O'Neill." Jack looked at the Jaffa questioningly. "There does not appear to be anything of value here." Jack peered inside the open casket and found only bones and the tattered remains of whatever clothing had adorned its occupant.

Harry was already opening his third casket, his initial fear of the dead now forgotten with the promise of a potential windfall. "You know, I'm not finding much of anything, either." He turned toward Daniel, who was still examining the inscriptions on the outside of the coffins. "I thought you said there would be thirteen treasures here."

"No," he corrected. "I said there were Thirteen Treasures of Britain, but I have no way of knowing whether they were brought here or not. Plus, I suppose it's possible that someone else has already discovered them."

"Now you tell us this?" Jack asked, his tone incredulous.

Harry was already nose deep into casket number four. "Wait a minute…what have we here?" he asked, as he stood up holding a small item between his thumb and forefinger.

The other three gathered around him. "It's a ring," said Daniel. "And it has a picture of a winged chariot on it!"

"That's it?" asked Jack. "That's the Chariot?"

Daniel raised both eyebrows. "It would seem so."

"Cool," said Harry, as he slipped it on his finger.

"Harry, wait!" yelled Daniel.

But Harry just stood there, as all of them stared at him expectantly waiting for something to happen. "Well that was anti-climatic," he said after several seconds.

No sooner were the words out of his mouth than the floor began to shake violently, causing everyone but Teal'c to fall to the ground. Several of the open coffins also tumbled over, including one that landed right next to Harry, scattering the dusty remains of its occupant all over the ex-NID agent's prone form. The moment he realized what had happened, he scrambled to his feet, screaming madly, as he tried to beat the dust from his hair and clothing.

"You were warned!" bellowed the hologram of the old man, which had apparently chosen that moment to make a reappearance. He raised a ghostly arm and pointed it at Harry. "Those who are not pure of heart are not welcome here! You will perish!"

"See!" Jack yelled over the din as he found his own feet. "I was right!"

"We have to get out of here!" Daniel screamed. As quickly as possible, they made their way back into the center of the transportation rings, pushing and pulling each other into the center of the floor, as it continued to shake. Desperately, they looked around for some way to activate the rings, but found none. By then, pieces of the ceiling were raining down around them. "Jack, do something!"

"What am I supposed to do?" Jack cried, as he ducked and covered his head to protect it from the debris that seemed to be falling all around him.

"I don't know…just, just think about getting out of here!"

Jack closed his eyes and concentrated on getting to safe place. After several seconds, he cracked open one lid to see the rings rise up to surround them, just as the ceiling seemed to implode.

When the rings fell away again, they found themselves back where they started, in the empty alcove off the main tunnel in the catacombs. Aside from a few lingering pieces of ceiling that fell harmlessly to the floor, there was no other sign of an impending cave in. In fact, everything was completely calm. As soon as they realized they were no longer in imminent danger, three pairs of angry eyes turned to glare at Harry.

"Give it to me," said Jack.

Harry feigned confusion. "Hmm?"

"The Chariot, Harry. I know you have it. Now hand it over."

Reluctantly, Harry pulled the ring from a pocket in his robes and placed it in Jack's outstretched hand. Jack examined it closely. It was large and heavy and seemed to be made of some sort of gray metal, like pewter. The top was flat, its only decoration a stylized picture of a winged chariot carved into the metal. He placed it on his finger, and the moment he slid it on, Jack felt a low level buzzing in his hand, almost as though the ring was vibrating.

"Anything?" asked Daniel.

"Feels kinda…tingly." Jack shrugged. "Now what?"

"Try thinking about moving to a different place," Daniel suggested.

Jack squeezed his eyes shut and was instantly transported to a spot immediately behind Harry. He tapped him on the shoulder, causing the would-be friar to jump and let out yet another high pitched scream. Jack chuckled.

Teal'c cocked his head to one side. "It appears we have successfully located the Chariot."

"So, this thing will take me where ever I want to go?" asked Jack.

Daniel shrugged. "Supposedly."

"Sweet!" Jack looked sideways at his companions. "Uh, I'll be right back."

Before they had a chance to protest, he closed his eyes and disappeared.

TBC...


	11. Chapter 11

At first, Sam had been worried that Baal might come back to finish what he'd started earlier, but other than having the maids return to complete her wedding gown and provide her with food and drink, he'd left her alone. When the women had finally finished, she'd overheard the Jaffa guarding her door discussing their strict instructions to ensure she was not disturbed. As a result, she felt relatively certain she would not be troubled any further that evening.

Her wedding gown hung on a dress form in the corner, but it was such an ornate monstrosity that she'd decided she'd rather be nearly naked than weighed down by all that beading. So she'd dressed herself in the only other piece of clothing Baal had left her, a lacy nightgown, and spent the next hour giving serious consideration to finding a means of escape.

After searching for nearly an hour, she had concluded that the door was the only way in or out of the room. Baal's Jaffa had carefully cleared the space of anything that might be used as a weapon, not even leaving so much as a butter knife with her food. But Sam had carefully ripped a strip of cloth off the bottom of her gown and, using the stems of the flowers that adorned the table, had fashioned it into a garrote of sorts. She had hoped she might be able to lure one of the Jaffa into her room and take him by surprise.

She knew it was a long shot, but she really had no desire to just sit around waiting for Baal to come fetch her for their wedding. In truth, though, she was far more concerned about Jack than she was for herself, and she knew she had to get out of there if for no other reason than to save him.

She began pacing back and forth, thinking about how she was going to find the General, when she spun on her heel to find him standing right in front of her. She almost fell over, she was so startled.

"Sir!" she exclaimed. She examined her commanding officer closely. He was bruised and bleeding and just plain filthy. What had Baal done to him? And where had he come from?

It took Jack a minute to get his bearings. One moment he'd been shivering in the dank and chilly air of the catacombs and the next he was standing in what looked like a cozy suite at the Ritz. He had only thought about going to Sam's location, and here he was - though "here" was not exactly what he'd expected. At all.

He thought he'd probably find her in some dingy cell, and he'd been nearly frantic with worry that she'd been tortured or beaten. Instead, he could see that she was clean, fed, and finely dressed, surrounded by plush furnishings and apparently unharmed.

As he processed the situation, he found himself caught between a feeling of profound relief and something he couldn't quite put his finger on, though he suspected it might be jealousy. After all, he'd been crammed into a beer barrel, accosted by a white bearded apparition, surrounded by the dead, and nearly buried alive courtesy of an Ancient curse.

"Carter," he finally said. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, sir. But..."

Looking at her more closely, he noticed that the gown she was wearing was practically transparent and that it revealed far more than it should. His eyes snapped up to her face, just as a horrible thought occurred to him. No doubt Baal had many different means of torturing his captives, particularly those as attractive as his Colonel.

"Has he harmed you?" he asked anxiously, cutting her off.

"No, sir," she replied immediately. "But how...how did you escape?"

Though he was incredibly relieved, he was also confused. "Escape?"

"From Baal."

Realization struck. "He told you he had me." It was more statement than question. "That slimy snakehead...," he muttered to himself.

"Wait, Baal didn't capture you?" She was clearly shocked.

"Not this time, Carter." He watched her sift through a range of emotions: relief, then anger, and finally confusion.

She furrowed her brow. "Then...where have you been? And how did you get in here?"

"We found the treasure. It's this device." Smiling slightly, he held up his hand and showed her the ring. "It'll transport me wherever I want to go..." He watched her face light up with curiosity, her attention now focused solely on the Ancient piece of technology he was dangling in front of her.

She grabbed his hand to take a closer look, clearly intrigued. "That's fascinating..."

With some effort, he pulled his hand from her grasp. "Listen, Carter, we don't have much time. I just...I just wanted to check on you." He knew by the way his voice caught on the last statement that he probably revealed more about his level of concern for her than he'd intended.

Hoping she wouldn't notice, he moved on quickly, his mouth unfortunately getting ahead of his brain. "But it would appear that you're doing fine. Better than fine, actually. In fact, I heard you were getting married." Her frown should have been a warning, but for some reason, he just couldn't stop himself. "Maybe the third time's a charm, huh?" He'd meant it as a joke, but he regretted his words the minute they left his mouth.

Whoops. He knew by her rapidly darkening expression that her mood had shifted back to anger, though this time he was pretty sure she was mad at him. Spitting mad. After all, cracks about getting married she didn't find particularly funny these days.

"No, sir," she replied through gritted teeth. "Baal has me locked in here with at least two Jaffa stationed outside my door. It may be a step up from the dungeon, but it's still a prison."

Yet it was a hell of a lot nicer than where he'd been for the better part of the day, Jack thought, so he really couldn't resist his next comment. "Still, not a bad way to spend a confinement, huh?"

Considering what she'd been through with Baal earlier, she seriously considered telling him to stick it, but at that moment all she wanted to do was leave. "Can we just get out of here, sir?"

To her surprise, Jack hesitated. "Do you think there's any chance Baal might harm you before the wedding tomorrow?"

"No, sir," she said cautiously, wondering where he was going with this. "He's apparently decreed that I'm to remain undisturbed until the wedding."

He winced; she was not going to like this. "Ah, then...actually, no. We need you to stay here."

"What!" she snapped at him, incredulous. Her eyes flew to the door, wondering if the Jaffa might have heard her through the thick oak.

Jack knew she was pissed, so he hastened to explain. "Look, we don't want to tip Baal off, and we need to get him and his Jaffa out of the castle. The plan is to take him by surprise tomorrow at the wedding, and if I take you with me now..."

But she was having none of it. She'd been worried sick about him, and the whole time he'd been off on an adventure with the rest of her team. Then he'd come all this way just to tell her he was leaving her there? She felt her face flush with anger.

"You're kidding me, right?" She leaned in and sniffed him. "Have you been drinking? Sir?" Clearly he had lost his mind, and based on the fact that he smelled like a brewery, she could only assume he'd been drinking with the boys while she'd pined away in this godforsaken room for him. She wrinkled her nose in distaste.

Now it was his turn to get mad; she had no idea what he'd been through the past several hours - waking up seriously concussed, trying to find the Chariot, worried to death about her, only to find her surrounded by opulence. "Look, Carter, we can't all live in the lap of luxury..." He indicated the fancy room.

"Is that what you think this is?"

"Well, yeah!"

Logically, she knew he had no way of knowing about her earlier experience with Baal, that even though he'd barely touched her, he'd tortured her in his own way, humiliating her and taunting her with the idea that he'd had Jack. But she was too furious now to bother explaining it him.

"You just don't get it, do you?" she spat, purposefully excluding his honorific. "But then I guess you never did."

For the first time that night, Jack realized that this fight might be about something more than his refusal to take her with him. He just wished he knew what. He scowled. "What's that supposed to mean?"

His obtuse behavior was driving her mad, and she'd had enough. After all, she had been waiting for weeks for him to catch a clue, so if he wanted her to spell it out for him, she was more than happy to oblige. The words flew out of her mouth, much louder than she intended, before she could stop them.

"Here I am, once again, waiting on you to do something, only to be disappointed!"

The silence that followed was far more deafening than their raised voices.

He stared at her for several seconds before unholstering his zat and setting it on a nearby table. When he finally spoke, his tone was low and dangerous. "We'll come for you tomorrow, at the wedding. In the meantime just...," he gestured around the ornate room, "enjoy yourself."

"Sir-" she began, but he was gone before the word left her mouth.

She closed her eyes then dropped her head into hands, wondering where things had gone so horribly wrong. And not just tonight, but over the course of their entire relationship. God, they were a mess. She shook her head. Maybe eight years really was too long. Maybe it really was too late for them.

The first teardrop had just fallen when he suddenly reappeared right in front of her. Sam gasped and hastily wiped her eyes. She'd be damned if she let him see her cry.

"Oh, and one more thing, Carter," he said, his voice gruff and his eyes on fire.

He crossed the space between them with such determination she irrationally thought he might strike her. Instead, he swept her into his embrace, with one hand at the small of her back and the other threaded through her hair. She barely had time to register what was happening before his lips were pressed to hers, and her world shifted on its axis.

For a fleeting second, she wondered what the hell he was doing. But then she remembered that Jack O'Neill was a man of action, and it dawned on her that this was his way of telling her what he had been struggling for the past few days to put into words.

And oh what a message it was.

He bunched the fabric of her gown in his fist, pulling it tight across her chest, and pressed the length of his body to hers. The intimate contact caused her to let out a little whimper, and he took advantage of her slightly parted lips by deepening the kiss.

He moved his mouth over hers slowly but possessively, the things he was doing with his tongue hinting at his ultimate intent. The effect caused her desire for him to pool deep and low, and her body became liquid against his. When she realized that he was equally aroused, she thought she might dissolve into a puddle of need at his feet.

All trace of their prior argument now forgotten, she desperately snaked her hands around his neck to hold herself up and prevent him from letting go. In return, he dipped her ever so slightly and deepened the kiss once more, causing all of her nerve endings to erupt in flame as he situated himself even more intimately against her.

She had no idea how long he kissed her like that, but she was certain she had never experienced anything like it and would never, ever get enough of it. Just when she thought she might spontaneously combust, he suddenly broke the kiss, leaving her dazed and completely unable to speak.

He untangled himself from her and took a step backwards. "Hope you're not disappointed," he said, his voice rough.

Before she could formulate a coherent response, he was gone again, and she was left staring at the now empty space he'd occupied, her heart beating wildly and her elegant lace gown smudged with dirt and smelling slightly of beer.

TBC...


	12. Chapter 12

Sam could only catch a glimpse of the crowd that had gathered to watch her procession from the castle to the abbey for her wedding to Baal. She was flanked by at least a dozen Jaffa, not counting the four who were seated in the wagon next to her. Still, she knew by the dull roar that grew increasingly louder as she approached that the entire town and most of the surrounding villages must have turned out to watch the spectacle.

Thankfully she'd been left alone after Jack had vanished the night before. Despite the fact that she'd remained undisturbed, she had found it impossible to sleep, less because she was worried about Baal and more because she couldn't stop thinking about the kiss she'd shared with Jack. Even now the memory of it caused her heart to skip a beat, and she had to remind herself that she needed to keep her focus in order to be ready for the inevitable battle ahead.

As they approached the abbey, she tried once again to see past the bulky Jaffa in a futile attempt to locate a member - any member - of her team. She was somewhat irritated that Jack hadn't shared the details of his plan with her, but at least she had managed to hide the zat he'd left for her in a slit she'd made in the skirt of her gown. Though she would have preferred for it to sit closer to her body, the maids had stuffed her into yet another form fitting bodice that morning, leaving hardly any room for her breasts, much less anything else.

Once the Jaffa had deposited her at the altar inside the abbey, she was finally able to take stock of her surroundings. Unfortunately, the new view did nothing to encourage her. The interior of the church was small and dark and heavily guarded by even more Jaffa, who lined the side aisles and stood menacingly at the entrance.

She saw no sign of Jack or her team and wondered how in the world they were going to get in. After all, Baal had clearly anticipated some sort of attack. His Jaffa, all heavily armed even inside the abbey, were on high alert and were apparently only letting women though the door. Despite their intimidating glares, however, the pews were packed.

Sam shifted uncomfortably when she realized that all eyes were on her, several of the women whispering and pointing in her direction. A disturbing thought occurred to her, and she wondered if she had popped out of her dress. That, she thought, would be just her luck. She glanced down quickly and breathed a sigh of relief when she realized everything was still where it was supposed to be, though she knew the wedding guests might get more of a show than they bargained for if she actually had to fight.

However, she had little time to dwell further on her attire, as the elderly Abbot arrived surrounded by several hooded friars. He cleared his throat to capture her attention, and she took one last sidelong glance at the crowd, searching in vain for her team. With a sigh she turned toward the officiant, trying her best to tamp down on her nerves when she realized she was going to have to go through with at least part of the wedding.

Somewhere a trumpet sounded, and Baal sauntered in from a side door with a smirk. Behind him, one of the friars raised his head slightly, and Sam was stunned when she recognized Harry. He gave her a quick wink, and Sam gasped then shifted uncomfortably, trying to hide her slip.

Baal's grin widened, clearly having misinterpreted her reaction. "No need to be so nervous, my dear," he said to her in a low tone. "Though I must admit that I find the 'blushing bride' act rather appealing."

"Bite me," she replied acerbically, and she was gratified to see his face darken.

He grasped her firmly by her upper arm and leaned in to whisper in her ear. "You will learn humility before your god soon enough," he hissed, "though I relish the thought of breaking you." He stood upright and gave her a chilling smile. "Perhaps we shall begin tonight when we share our wedding bed."

Sam paled and turned back toward the Abbot, who had already begun the ceremony, and tried her best not to think about what a night with Baal might entail. But as the Abbot continued to drone through the wedding service, she grew increasingly anxious. The time to exchange their vows approached, and still there was no sign of Jack or SG-1. She risked a glance at Harry, but his head was hidden beneath the cowl of his robe.

Tired of waiting for something to happen, Sam decided she would have to take matters into her own hands. Slowly and carefully, she moved her fingers through the folds in her skirt, seeking the slit in which she'd hidden the zat. Though she didn't really have a specific plan and knew her chances of escape were slim, there was no way she was going to allow Baal to kiss her, much less do anything else he had implied.

It took several seconds before she finally felt the familiar serpentine shape of the gun, and Sam had momentarily panicked, thinking it had fallen out of her dress sometime during the ride to the abbey. Just as her fingertips brushed up against the smooth, cool metal, the Abbot raised his head and addressed the crowd.

"Does anyone have any objections?" he asked in a warbling voice.

Sam's hand wrapped around the base of the weapon, her fingers tensing in anticipation. But before she could pull it out from the folds of her skirt, Jack suddenly appeared from nowhere, standing beside the Abbot with his own zat trained on Baal.

"I have a few," he said with a lopsided grin.

In the space of a nanosecond, several things happened at once. Faster than Sam thought possible, Baal pulled the Abbot between him and Jack, leaving the elderly cleric on the receiving end of the zat blast that Jack had just fired. As the Abbot collapsed onto the floor, the Goa'uld grabbed Sam around her waist and erected his personal shield around them both.

At the same time, the abbey erupted in utter chaos, as several of the women in the pews shed their wigs, revealing themselves to be men, among them Daniel and Arden, who began firing their zats at the guards. Instantly, the remaining rebels freed their swords from their skirts and began attacking the rapidly faltering Jaffa with help from a handful of archers, who had hidden themselves in the rafters. Harry likewise acted instantly, taking out a few friars presumably loyal to the Abbot with his own zat and sending the rest fleeing.

Pressing a knife to Sam's throat, Baal took in the chaos and cast a disdainful look at Jack. His eyes flashed. "If you follow, she dies," he growled, dragging Sam toward the side door through which he'd entered.

oOoOoOo

Outside the abbey, Teal'c was leading Elsa's people in an attack on the remainder of Baal's Jaffa, but they were greatly outnumbered and were in serious danger of being overwhelmed. The archers were good, but they were no match for the staff blasts that seemed to come from all directions, and everywhere he looked Teal'c saw archers and swordsmen falling.

He was doing what he could to incapacitate Baal's Jaffa, but before long Teal'c found himself surrounded by at least a dozen of the heavily armored men. Seeing no other option, he lowered his weapon. Surprisingly, rather than accept his surrender, the largest of Jaffa primed his staff and aimed it at his chest.

"Now you will die, Sholva!" he spat.

Teal'c watched the latent energy run over head of the staff, then spread his arms to welcome death as a warrior. But the blast never came, and when he looked closely at the Jaffa who had threatened to shoot him, he was stunned to see the bloody point of a spear poking through his chest.

The Jaffa slid off the spear and fell to the ground with a thud, revealing a stunned looking villager half his size still grasping his makeshift weapon. Emboldened by the man's courage, his fellow villagers let out roar, and within moments a hundred commoners set upon the remaining Jaffa. Soon all of the villagers had taken up whatever arms they could find and were joining with the people of the forest in the fight to oust their oppressors.

oOoOoOo

Jack wasted no time pursuing Baal. Closing his eyes, he simply pictured where he wanted to go, and in the next moment he was standing in front of the snake, who still had his personal shield up and a knife pressed to Sam's throat. Baal came to an abrupt halt, clearly startled to see the military man appear before him for the second time that day. His attention, however, was quickly drawn to the doorway behind him as Daniel and Arden and Harry emerged, effectively trapping the Goa'uld between them and Jack.

Baal spun around to face Jack once more. "I will kill her, O'Neill."

"Give it up, Baal," Jack replied. "You've got nowhere to go."

"Then I'm sure you can appreciate that I have nothing to lose." With that, he pressed the point of his blade deeper into Sam's throat, causing a drop of blood to run down the long column of her neck. Jack fired his zat at him, but the energy ran harmlessly over the exterior of his shield.

Sam cocked her head at Jack, drawing his attention. Quickly, she glanced down at her skirt where her right hand rested in the folds. She lifted the zat, still hidden underneath her dress, ever so slightly in his direction. His eyes widened a bit, and he inclined his head almost imperceptibly before looking once again at Baal.

"It seems we have a bit of a standoff." Baal smirked, oblivious to the exchange. "Perhaps I could interest you in a trade." Jack's eyes were steely as he stared down the Goa'uld, but Baal was undeterred. "The Chariot for Colonel Carter."

"Deal," Jack replied without hesitation.

Sam wondered if Jack had misunderstood their unspoken conversation. "Sir, if he has the Chariot, he can go anywhere."

Jack continued to stare at Baal as he spoke. "It's okay, Carter."

With his eyes still trained on the Goa'uld, Jack removed the ring and tossed it to him, the slow moving projectile easily piercing his personal shield. Baal released his hold on Sam in order to catch it, and she immediately tried to move away from him, only to find herself still trapped by the shield.

Baal's eyes flashed triumphantly as he examined the ring. "Fool! Now I've got the Chariot and your woman!" he sneered. "We'll be taking our leave now."

He placed the ring on his finger and waited, but nothing happened. His smarmy smile faded a bit. "The castle!" he commanded, and still he remained rooted to the spot. His expression grew increasingly stricken as he focused all of his attention on the ring, muttering while he moved it from one finger to another. He was so caught up in his actions, he failed to notice Sam pull out the zat she'd had hidden in her skirt and point it at him from inside the shield.

"Now who's the fool?" Jack asked quietly.

Baal looked up then and finally noticed the weapon aimed directly at him. Startled, he gaped at Sam and raised his knife in a defensive posture.

A faint smile played at the corners of Sam's mouth. "Sorry, Baal, but it looks like you've brought a knife to a zat fight," she said, as she zatted him not once, but twice. Once incapacitated, Sam pulled the ring from his finger then zatted him a third time, causing both Baal and the shield to disappear.

Jack grinned at Sam as she handed him the ring. "Sweet!"

oOoOoOo

Harry, Arden, Daniel, Jack and Sam filed out of the abbey, unsure of what they would find. But to their great relief, they saw that most of Baal's Jaffa had been killed, and the few who remained were held captive.

An air of excitement permeated the courtyard outside the church. As the five individuals walked into the open area, the villagers turned and looked expectantly at the group. Arden gave a nod to Jack and stepped up onto a nearby platform to address the crowd. The others followed him.

"Good people of Nottingham!" he began. "It gives me great pleasure to announce that, thanks to Robin Hood and the Lady Marian, the Sheriff is dead!" At that, the crowd let out a deafening cheer.

Jack took advantage of the noise to lean over and whisper in Sam's ear. "What else do you have underneath that dress?" he asked, with a mischievous grin.

Sam feigned offense. "I assume you're talking to Daniel," she said haughtily, casting a sideways glance at the archeologist, who was still wearing his skirt.

"Hey!" Daniel protested.

Jack shrugged. "Guess I'll just have to find out for myself," he said. Without warning, he grabbed Sam around the waist and dipped her backwards. To her utter shock - and the crowd's great delight - he kissed her.

Once again, Sam was stunned, especially considering Jack had only just recently expressed his affection for her, and then only in the privacy of her room at the castle. Within seconds, though, she was responding to him in kind, their increasingly rowdy audience long forgotten. Several minutes and a few uncomfortable coughs later, they finally broke apart.

"You know, Jack," said Harry. "I'm really very happy for you. Though I would highly recommend that you not to limit yourself to just one woman."

But Jack never took his eyes off Sam, who was smiling at him like crazy. For her part, Sam simply shoved the would-be friar off the platform, then pulled Jack back in for another kiss.

"This is a historic day," Arden said to Daniel over the din, "one that will no doubt be celebrated throughout the ages. Yet it is unfortunate that we do not know the fate of our king."

Sam finally tore herself away from Jack and turned to address Arden. "I think I may know where he is..."

TBC...


	13. Chapter 13

The group made their way to the castle, handily dispatching what few Jaffa remained along the way. Once inside, Sam quickly led them into the dungeon in search of King Richard, who was exactly where she told them he would be. When Jack asked how she knew where he was, Sam replied wryly that despite assumptions to the contrary she hadn't spent her entire stay at the castle reveling in the lap of luxury.

The king, in turn, led them to a hidden part of the dark prison where they also found the men from Harry's planet who had come in search of their own errant king many days before. They were dirty and underfed but otherwise unharmed, and it took every last ounce of Jack's self-control - and an elbow to the ribs from Sam - to keep him from making acerbic comments while they praised Harry for his intelligence, strength and valor.

When they finally emerged into the courtyard of the castle, King Richard appeared somewhat dazed, but the moment his subjects recognized him, he was greeted with a deafening cheer. Reenergized by the crowd, he gave them a smile and a wave, before turning to offer his profound thanks to his rescuers.

Beaming now, the king clasped the hand of each team member in turn, coming finally to Arden. But as he extended his hand to the forest dweller, he paused, his attention drawn to a small group of people escorting a tiny, silver haired woman into the courtyard.

The king was obviously stunned. His eyes were glued to the woman, and it was a long time before he spoke. "Elsa?" he whispered. Then louder, "Elsa!"

Elsa bowed her head as she approached, her eyes sparkling. "Hello Richard."

The Protector of Sherwood Forest and the King of Nottingham continued to gaze at one another. Jack leaned toward Arden. "I'm, ah, sensing there's some history there."

A faint smile tugged at the corners of Arden's mouth. "When she was a young woman, Elsa fell madly in love with a handsome prince."

Jack eyebrows shot to the top of his head. "The king?"

"Aye."

Jack watched the two embrace. It was apparent they hadn't seen each other in a very long time. "What happened?"

Arden shrugged. "Elsa was a commoner from the forest, and the prince was royalty and promised to another. So he was faced with a choice: forsake Elsa or give up his throne."

"And he let her go?" Jack never considered himself much of a romantic, but it was easy to see that even after all this time, the king was still taken with Elsa. And for reasons he really didn't want to examine too closely, the thought of losing one's true love didn't sit too well with him.

"Actually, no. Elsa found out about the prince's dilemma and left on her own, disappearing back into the forest to live out the remainder of her life with her people. The prince, however, was heartbroken. He searched for her for many years, but as you might imagine, it is nearly impossible to locate a child of the forest when she does not wish to be found.

"Elsa thought he would ultimately forget about her and take a wife that would allow him to fulfill his royal legacy. But after he became king, Richard refused to marry the woman who was promised to him - or any other woman for that matter. As a result, he has no heir."

Elsa withdrew from the king's embrace, though he refused to let her go completely. She beamed at her kinsman. "On the contrary, Arden, the king does have an heir."

"No, Elsa," Richard corrected her softly. "I assure you I do not."

For the first time since he'd met her, Jack thought Elsa looked nervous. Her gaze shifted between the king and Arden for a long while. Finally, she took a deep breath and began, "I have kept this secret for many years..."

"Elsa?" The king pulled away from her a bit, uncertain of what she was about to tell them.

But she addressed him directly, holding onto his arms for support. "When I left you all those years ago, I was with child." She turned to Arden. "Your father, my son, was the child of the king." Arden's jaw dropped, clearly shocked by this news.

Elsa drew herself up and stood proudly before both men. "Richard, I'd like you to meet your grandson."

oOoOoOoOo

Thrilled with the revelation that Arden was his grandson, the king decided a celebration was in order. That evening he hosted a huge feast on the castle grounds in honor of the new prince and, of course, Robin and Marian and the Merry Men, to whom he was infinitely grateful for ridding the kingdom of the Sheriff and returning him to the throne.

As the musicians began to play and the people of Nottingham began to sing and dance, Jack and the others gathered together to watch the festivities. Before long, Elsa, who had been at the king's side since they were reunited, finally stepped away for a moment to join them.

Jack smiled at the tiny woman as she drew closer. "Thank you, Elsa. For all of your help today."

She chuckled. "It is I who should be thanking you." She cocked her head at him and narrowed her eyes. "But then, I believe I told you that you were destined to help us."

Jack clasped his hands behind his back and began rocking on his feet. "Yes, about that - how did you know?"

"As I've said, it was foretold by the original Robin and Marian. They said they would come to us again when we needed them most."

"I'm sorry, Elsa," Daniel said, "but you've got the wrong people. We're not a reincarnation of your ancestors. We're just travelers from another world."

Elsa shook her head. "No, you fit their descriptions perfectly." She looked at Jack. "You, Robin, are a natural leader with a keen mind for battle. You have a gruff facade but are a good man at heart." She turned to Sam. "And Marian, the beautiful. A warrior in your own right, you've always fought alongside Robin, who's completely smitten with you."

"Well, that much is certainly true," Daniel mumbled to Teal'c, who inclined his head.

"Will Scarlett," she said to Daniel, "you're Robin's best friend and have been so since long before he led the Merry Men." She addressed Teal'c. "You, Little John, served Robin's enemies before declaring your loyalty to Robin and his cause, and have fought bravely with him ever since."

"Okay, this is getting a little weird," Daniel said under his breath.

Finally, her gaze came to rest on Harry. "And the Friar Tuck. A late addition to the Merry Men, you were originally mistrusted until you ultimately proved your worth."

The group gaped at Elsa in stunned silence before Jack finally spoke.

"Yeah, well, that could describe anyone," he said, then playfully scowled at Sam when she shot him a look that clearly questioned his sanity.

Elsa gave them a sly smile. "Alright, then, perhaps this will convince you." From a satchel, she pulled out something heavy, wrapped in linen. When the item was finally revealed, the four earthlings gasped, and even Teal'c raised an eyebrow.

She extended the device to Jack who examined it carefully. "The original Robin and his Merry Men left a few things to our people, including this," she told them quietly.

Jack looked up, eyes wide. "This is a Beretta M9 service pistol."

"When I saw you with the same weapons, I knew."

The group stared at each other, dumbfounded.

oOoOoOoOo

The party continued well into the evening, but the group remained preoccupied, debating for several hours how Elsa might have obtained a military issue handgun. However, the conversation didn't turn really interesting until they learned that Arden and several of the other forest dwellers also carried the Ancient gene.

In the end, Jack finally called a halt to the discussion by gifting Arden with the Chariot, much Harry's consternation, and declaring that they would never speak of the topic again, since it was all starting to make his brain hurt anyway.

With the matter at least somewhat resolved, Arden returned to the party, while Harry went off in search of souls in need of saving.

"Curious how he only seems to be interested in young, feminine souls," Daniel mumbled, watching as the ex-NID agent approached a particularly buxom brunette.

Sam yawned and stretched her arms over her head. "Yes, well, I think I'm going to turn in."

"You can't leave yet, Sam," Daniel pled. "There're supposed to be fireworks later."

Jack shifted uncomfortably and regarded his team. He had been meaning to tell them about his new assignment since the celebration began but had not yet found the right opportunity. Now that the party was drawing to a close, he decided it was now or never. He cleared his throat.

"Look, guys, there's something I've been meaning to tell you." They looked at him expectantly, and he took a deep breath. "Hammond's stepping down, and he wants me to take his place as head of Homeworld Security."

"But that's in Washington!" Daniel exclaimed.

"Yeah," Jack said. "I'm supposed to start making arrangements to transfer there next week."

As he explained the details of his move, Sam's mood grew increasingly pensive. While Daniel and Teal'c congratulated him on his new assignment, she remained completely silent, finally quietly slipping away from the rest of the group.

Jack excused himself from the others as quickly as possible to follow her. It didn't take him long to spot her standing under a nearby oak just a few feet away, watching the revelers dancing at the party.

"So," he said, as he sidled up beside her.

"So," she replied, without shifting her gaze from the celebration.

"So, I guess everyone got their happy ending," Jack stated.

She turned to look at him, her tone challenging. "Did they?"

"Well, sure," Jack replied, refusing to take the bait. "We helped our colleague, found the treasure, killed the bad guy, and saved the king. What more could there be?"

"What about the part where the hero gets the girl?" she asked pointedly.

The faintest trace of a smile turned up the corners of his mouth. "You don't think that's just a little cliché?"

"Maybe a little." Sam shrugged, trying her best to seem indifferent. "But then, not all clichés are bad."

Jack moved closer to her, not fooled in the least. "You may have a point there."

He knew it was time to put it all on the line, so he blew out a large breath and took her hands in his. "Look, Sam. Just because I'm leaving the SGC, it doesn't mean I'm leaving you. As crazy as it sounds, I was kind of hoping that this move just might give us the chance to finally be together."

She searched his face but found nothing but cautious optimism there. "Really?" she asked hopefully.

"Really," he confirmed.

At that, her face erupted in the brightest smile he'd ever seen. Instantly, he pulled her to him, and in the next second, they were kissing each other with an unrestrained passion, increasingly oblivious to the catcalls and whistles that began emanating from the crowd.

"Again?" they heard Daniel groan.

"Indeed," Teal'c answered.

"Jeez, would you guys get a room?" Harry yelled from the where he was currently entertaining a bevy of young beauties.

Jack pulled away from Sam, with a mischievous grin on his face. "You know, that's not a bad idea."

In the blink of an eye, Sam found herself in a lavish bedroom in the castle. It had the same huge bed, rich furnishings, and plush fabrics as the other room - though this one included a large balcony with a view overlooking the party below.

Sam spun around, taking in her surroundings. She looked at Jack in surprise. "I thought you gave the Chariot to Arden."

"He let me hang on to it for one more night." He held up his hand to show her the ring.

Sam's eyes were sparkling, taking it all in. "And all this?" She gestured around the room.

Jack shrugged. "The king owed us one."

"Ah," she replied. Jack moved in for another kiss, but Sam stopped him playfully with a hand in the middle of his chest. "Bit presumptuous of you."

Jack looked at her, surprised and slightly concerned. "Are you objecting?"

She gave him a sultry smile and then in a low and seductive tone replied, "Not in the least."

"Thank god." He took her in his arms. "I love you, Carter," he whispered, drawing her close.

"I love you, too, sir," she whispered back.

His lips found hers, and he moved against her sensuously, his actions hinting at the promise of much, much more. Suddenly, the sound of fireworks exploding rent the night. Sam gasped and turned away from Jack long enough to see the remnants of a colorful display illuminating the edges of the dark sky.

She turned back toward Jack to find him gazing at her intently. "We're missing the fireworks, you know," she said seductively.

His mouth turned up in a half grin. "I thought maybe we'd make some fireworks of our own."

Then he drew her to him once again, and though the king supposedly put on the most impressive pyrotechnic display in a thousand years, it paled in comparison to the sparks that flew in Jack and Sam's room that night.

And so they all lived happily ever after. Or, at least, for the most part...

TBC...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue coming up!


	14. Epilogue

_Five Years Later..._

Walter Harriman leaned toward the comm. "Unscheduled off world activation!" he announced as the klaxons began to sound.

Sam leaned over his shoulder to look at the computer monitor. "Who is it, Sergeant?"

"It's a communication from P2X-487, mam."

"I figured his long silence was too good to last," she muttered. She sighed heavily. "Put it on screen."

At that moment, Daniel and Teal'c walked up beside her, presumably drawn by the unexpected gate activity, a habit undoubtedly borne out of longstanding custom. Sam smiled at them. It was good to have them back.

These days Teal'c was spending most of his time with the free Jaffa, especially now that he was a grandfather. As for Daniel, he'd been stationed on Atlantis helping its team prepare for the city's impending flight to the Pegasus Galaxy. It had taken Sam's recent return to the SGC to finally lure them both back to the Mountain.

Her attention was suddenly drawn to the chaotic video image materializing on the monitor. The first thing Sam thought was that the planet was under attack. Objects flew back and forth, with some hurtling directly at the screen. At Daniel’s insistence, Walter hurriedly turned down the volume as several high pitched screams sounded over the speakers.

Sam was just about to ask if the planet was in need of military assistance when a familiar head popped up from where it had been ducking below the view of the camera, presumably to avoid being hit by the flying projectiles.

"Colonel!" Harry Maybourne greeted her. He turned his head sharply toward a disturbance off screen. "I told you not to throw rocks at your brother!" he yelled.

As the camera zoomed out, Sam and the others could now see that the screams were in fact coming from several small children who were running all over the place, throwing things at the camera, Harry, and each other.

Sam leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest. "Maybourne." She tapped the single star on the collar of her BDUs. "Actually, I'm a general now."

She couldn't help the sense of pride that unexpectedly welled up inside of her. Finally, after all of her long years of service - SG-1, Atlantis, the _Hammond_ \- she had been awarded her dream job: command of the SGC. When she had arrived three months ago to take over for General Landry, it had been like coming home.

Maybourne, however, was clearly unimpressed. "Ah, well, congratulations. I'm sure you are doing a fabulous job," he said with his usual lack of sincerity. "How's Jack?" he added hurriedly before ducking again.

"He's fine," she replied tersely.

"That's good, that's good."

At that moment, Harry began working frantically to free his arm from the death grip of a young girl who couldn't have been more than three, who was pleading with him to pick her up. Once he finally succeeded in removing the child from his arm, she burst into tears and ran off camera.

Only then did Harry turn his attention back to Sam. "So did you guys get married yet?"

"What do you need, Maybourne?" She tried with little success to keep the irritation out of her voice, though in truth she wasn't sure if she was bothered more by the man or his question.

She and Jack had decided years ago that they would wait to marry until they were no longer in the same chain of command. Unfortunately, fate had a way of toying with them, and until recently that had never happened. Not that it had kept them from being together, of course, but the desire to make their relationship official had been weighing heavily on her of late.

"I'm afraid I need Jack. Do you know where he is?"

"Yes, he's at home. He retired last year."

"Retirement, huh?" For a moment Maybourne stared off into space with a wistful look, until he was hit in the head by yet another flying object. He yelled at a different child off screen.

Sam put her hands on her hips. As amusing as it was to watch Harry tormented by his progeny, the call was starting to wear on her. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Ah, no, I'm afraid it has to be Jack. Perhaps he still consults with the SGC from time to time?" he asked hopefully.

She scowled. Though Jack did still consult for the Program, she was the one in charge now. "I'm sure I can handle anything..."

Harry cut her off. "Don't misunderstand me, General. What I really need is his Ancient gene. Oh, and a puddle jumper. I believe you still have mine?"

Sam's scowl deepened. "What do you need a puddle jumper for?"

Harry shot her his trademark grin. "Remember our trip to Nottingham several years ago?"

"How could I forget..." she mumbled sarcastically. Daniel snorted in agreement.

But Harry was warming to his subject now. "If you'll recall, we found one of the Thirteen Treasures of Britain there."

"Uh huh." Sam was wondering if he was planning to get to the point before the wormhole disengaged.

He paused for dramatic effect and leaned into the camera. "I think Baal may have gone after the other twelve."

Sam felt her stomach clench. That was impossible. "I killed Baal; he's dead," she replied, her calm voice belying her growing sense of unease.

"No, you killed _one_ Baal. I understand there are others?" When Sam didn't respond, Harry continued. "Well, one of them visited my little planet yesterday; he was reportedly quite interested in the tablet referencing Nottingham and the Treasures."

Daniel shifted uncomfortably beside her. She exchanged a worried look with him and Teal'c before turning back toward Harry. "I thought the Chariot was the only Treasure left there."

"That was true - as of five years ago. But I believe Baal may have traveled back in time, to the Nottingham of the past, to find the others."

oOoOoOo

It had taken some doing, but the puddle jumper hovered in the gate room as the original members of SG-1, plus one former NID agent, watched the large metal ring begin to spin from inside the craft. Jack sat in the pilot's seat and shifted uncomfortably in his tights. He scowled at his Jaffa co-pilot who, just like before, seemed a little too at ease in his medieval attire. But he immediately relaxed when he felt Sam's hands come to rest on his shoulders.

"You know how much I hate time travel, Carter," Jack said to her grumpily as he grasped the controls. Of course, it was all for show. Though he was pretending to be grouchy, in actuality he was thrilled to be going into the field again.

"I know," Sam replied in a placating tone, trying to hide her smile. He wasn't fooling her in the least. "Normally I would never dream of doing this. But we can't let Baal disrupt Nottingham's timeline. We've suspected for awhile now that he - or one of his clones - has been playing around with time travel. Who knows what damage he could do, particularly if he got his hands on the Treasures?"

She leaned down to kiss him quickly, but Jack surprised her by pulling her in for a deeper kiss. It was just turning from mildly passionate to searing, when Harry interrupted them from the back of the ship.

"Gah! Can you not do that, please? It's bad enough having to put up with the two of you making doe eyes at each other all the time. It's disturbing."

"Indeed," added Teal'c, his eyes twinkling.

Jack ignored the Jaffa and gestured toward Harry. "Remind me why he's here again?"

"He wouldn't give us access to the tablet unless we let him come along," Daniel replied from his place beside Sam.

Jack turned back toward Harry. "Aren't you needed on your planet for something? Anything?"

"Every king needs a break from his, ah, duties, from time to time."

The military man smirked. "Trouble in paradise, Maybourne?"

"No, no, it's just...quieter here. I miss the quiet..." His wistful look returned.

Jack's grin widened as he watched the event horizon settle back into its familiar blue puddle. He knew Teal'c was simply teasing him, but he was pretty sure Harry was jealous. Six wives now, and the good King Arkhan still didn't have anything close to what he had with Sam. He winked at her.

"Well, if what that tablet says is true, the trip will be well worth the trouble," Daniel began. "Imagine finding all Thirteen Treasures! Possibly even running into the Knights of the Round Table themselves! And I'd love the chance to talk to Merlin..."

"Oh no you don't," Jack cautioned. "We get in, stop Baal, and get out. That's it. I mean it this time."

"But Jack..."

"Ack!"

Sam nodded once. "He's right. The less we interfere with the timeline, the better."

Sam gave him a nod, and Jack squeezed his eyes shut and thought about disappearing. Once they had confirmation from the control room that the ship was no longer visible he moved the craft toward the gate. Within seconds, they emerged on the other side, and Jack banked quickly to the left to avoid hitting the trees that now surrounded them in the heart of Sherwood Forest.

Closing his eyes once again, he thought about their destination in time. When he opened them, though, he wasn't sure anything had happened.

"Carter?" he asked.

"You did it, sir," she replied after checking the date on the time device, completely oblivious to fact that they had slipped back into their old roles. "We've traveled 500 years into the past."

Jack peered out of the view screen. The trees didn't seem as dense and the path in front of the Stargate wasn't quite as worn. But otherwise the forest looked pretty much the same. "It doesn't seem much different."

"We should be careful," Daniel warned. "It may look the same but I assure you that this is a much rougher period in the history of this planet than the last time we visited."

Jack piloted the craft into a small clearing not far from the main path and set it down. The group gathered their weapons and, with a quick glance around to make sure they were alone, exited the ship.

"Don't forget where we parked!" Jack joked as the hatch closed, making it impossible to see the puddle jumper where it sat cloaked in the clearing.

"I believe that mildly humorous anecdote is greatly overused," Teal'c deadpanned, and Sam had to repress another smile as Jack did a double take of his Jaffa friend.

They began making their way down the path toward town. After a couple of miles they heard the unmistakable sound of a scuffle up ahead. Quietly, they crept up the side of the path, only to find two thugs beating up a man with a wagon.

"Is it just me, or is history repeating itself?" Jack whispered.

"Actually, the events of the last time we were here won't happen until 500 years in the future," Daniel replied, apparently missing the rhetorical nature of the question.

Jack gave him a death glare. "Did I not just mention how much I hate time travel?"

The four original members of SG-1 readied their weapons and, on Jack's signal, attacked the burly men accosting the traveler. Within minutes the men retreated, running down the path as fast as they could.

The traveler looked up at Jack, clearly grateful. "Thank you, m'lord. You and your men and, er, lady saved my life. To whom do I owe my thanks?"

A slow smile spread across Jack's features. His intent suddenly dawned on Sam, but before she could stop him, he'd removed the cap from his head and given the man an elaborate bow.

He grinned wildly.

"You can call me...Robin Hood!"

The End


End file.
